Murder trial for El Paso County woman accused of killing stepson begins Monday
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The murder trial for Letecia Stauch, the woman accused of killing her 11-year-old stepson in early 2020, begins Monday.
Gannon Stauch was reported missing from his Lorson Ranch home on Jan. 27, 2020. The community joined police officers for multiple searches that extended through the weeks following his disappearance. Then in early March 2020, police arrested Letecia for Gannon’s murder.
Letecia faces a charge of first-degree murder and a slew of others in connection with the alleged killing of her stepson.
Stauch previously entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
According to previous court testimony, Gannon's body was found in a suitcase near a bridge in Florida. According to testimony during Stauch's preliminary hearing, his body had a gunshot wound and blunt force trauma.
Investigators reported they found blood throughout Gannon's bedroom, including a large bloodstain underneath his bed. The DNA matched Gannon's profile.
When investigators found Gannon's body in the suitcase, they noted he had a fractured skull with a gunshot wound in his jaw, sharp force injuries in his chest and back, defensive wounds to his hands, and cuts on his arms and hands, according to testimony.
During a 2021 pre-trial hearing, an FBI Special Agent agent testified that Letecia and Gannon were the only people at the Lorson Ranch home at the time investigators believe Gannon died.
The FBI Agent testified that surveillance video showed Gannon getting into his father’s truck with Letecia, and Gannon didn't appear to be injured. When the truck returned, the video doesn't show Gannon getting out. Despite that, investigators believe Gannon did return home and was killed in his bedroom.
The FBI agent also testified that Letecia lied to law enforcement and had a "significant history" of fabricating things. He did acknowledge that some people who were interviewed about Letecia's relationship with Gannon said that Letecia was a good stepmom to him, adding that "Certainly, no one expected this to happen."
Letecia’s trial date has been delayed multiple times since her arrest after the defense requested multiple mental evaluations. She was evaluated two separate times by doctors trying to determine if she was competent to stand trial. She was found to be competent both times. The stepmother also received a sanity evaluation, and she was deemed ‘sane.’
A second sanity evaluation conducted by the defense is complete. At the last pre-trial hearing in February, the DA and Courts said they are waiting for those results to be handed over.
Jury selection will start on Monday and is expected to take at least two weeks. The state will likely begin presenting evidence to the jury after April 3rd.
The prosecution says their case alone will likely take 6 weeks to present to a jury. The state’s witnesses will fly into Colorado from all across the country.
