Increased security expected for Letecia Stauch at court hearing Wednesday

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Many people who supported Gannon Stauch and his family want to see justice done and follow the legal process for Letecia Stauch, his stepmother charged with murdering him.

To that end, some say they want to attend Wednesday's court hearing for Letecia Stauch.

However, tighter security and limited space may not allow it.

Sgt. Deborah Mynatt, of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office, said Monday that additional deputies and courthouse personnel likely will be on duty for the hearing.

"Our security is not only for the public, but it's for any inmate who's in custody," she said. "We provide security measures. There is a protocol that we follow. We don't want the courtroom plugged up with additional persons."

Normally, foot traffic in and out of the courtroom is heavy, and visitors must wait through long lines and go through the security checkpoint.

But on Wednesday, the hearing is scheduled to start at 4 p.m., when most of the day's courthouse business will have ended and the number of visitors will presumably will be smaller.

Many courtrooms are small, with room for only a few dozen spectators at most.

"It's very limited," Mynatt said. "There is no standing room whatsoever. Hallways can't be plugged up with people. There's a lot of movement, and the planning process of that movement will be planned ahead of time."

Letecia Stauch, 36, was arrested a week ago in South Carolina and was extradited back to El Paso County several days later.

She has already appeared before a judge at the jail to be advised of the charges against her, and Wednesday is her first scheduled court appearance.

Stauch is the last person believed to have seen 11-year-old Gannon who had been missing for several weeks and is now presumed dead. His body has yet to be found.