(11-year old Gannon Stauch)
By Nia Bender
COLORADO SPRINGS – On January 27th, 2020, a Lorson Ranch stepmother picked up a phone and contacted the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to let the authorities know that her stepson, 11-year old Gannon Stauch was missing. Letecia Stauch told them that the child had left to go over to a friend’s house and he hadn’t returned. On January 30th, Gannon was classified as a missing-endangered person.
That turned into a massive search in the Lorson Ranch area and the entire neighborhood turned out with hundreds of volunteers looking for Gannon. As the time passed and efforts to find the boy turned up nothing, the Sheriff’s Office turned to outside help from state and national authorities. Officials said they had put in thousands of hours into search efforts, including through aerial drone footage and search and rescue canines. Those involved in the search included the FBI Child Abduction Rapid Deployment, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, and the Colorado Springs Police Department.
The Stauch’s home was thoroughly searched and law enforcement conducted searches in Douglas County along Highway 105. The weeks turned into months and the focus of the investigation of the child’s disappearance focused on a darker scenario.
February 3rd. 2020
Letecia Stauch decided to take to the airwaves with an interview on KKTV in Colorado Springs, to respond to nasty online comments being made about her.
“I took care of Gannon for the last two years in our home. I would never, never, ever hurt this child. And I know there are some questions out there. That’s up to the investigators and when they end up letting you guys know, but I’ve cooperated with them.” She went on to say, “We are going to find Gannon, and that’s the main goal that we all have. I’m just ready for Gannon to come home.”
February 4th
A neighbor comes forward with surveillance footage that he says shows Letecia Stauch leaving the house with Gannon and returning hours later alone. Neighbor Roderrick Drayton said he decided to look through his footage once the search intensified and saw Stauch getting into a red pickup truck Monday morning at 10:13 a.m. The footage also appears to show Gannon walking slowly as he approaches and gets into the truck. When she returns in the truck at 2:19 p.m., Gannon is nowhere to be seen. The neighbor showed Gannon’s father the footage and he reportedly broke down in tears, saying Leticia lied about the time and that Gannon hadn’t gone to a friend’s house.
February 5th
Gannon’s biological mother and father made a gut-wrenching plea together for anyone with information to come forward. Gannon’s mother Landen Hiott, gave a teary plea of her own. Gannon’s father could hardly speak.
“A kid doesn’t just disappear and no one sees him. … So if you have anything that’s credible, if you’re afraid, don’t worry about it. Imagine my son. Imagine how afraid he is.”
Neither parent addressed the rumors about Letecia Stauch.
March 2nd
Letecia Stauch is arrested and held without bond in Horry County, South Carolina before she is extradited to Colorado Springs. Gannon’s body had not been found yet, but she was still charged with first-degree murder of a child under 12 by a person in a position of trust; child abuse resulting in death; tampering with a deceased human body, and tampering with physical evidence.
March 11
Letecia Stauch makes her first appearance after being extradited from South Carolina where she was arrested. She didn’t speak during her appearance, but authorities said they had filed over 100 search warrants in the case and were confident the boy’s stepmother was their suspect.
March 20
Authorities find Gannon Stauch’s body in Pace, Florida, near the Escambia River Bridge. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office asked for anyone who had seen Letecia Stauch in Florida between March 3rd and the 5th, to please come forward. The El Paso County District Attorney’s Office files nine additional charges against Letecia Stauch, including one count of first-degree murder after deliberation and eight counts of committing a crime of violence.
January 19th, 2021
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and mental health evaluations, Letecia Stauch’s case was paused. For the second time, a mental health evaluation found the 37-year old is mentally fit to stand trial for the murder of 11-year-old Gannon Stauch. An earlier evaluation over the summer had already found her competent, but following that ruling, her defense team requested another evaluation. Stauch’s next court date is March 11th-12th.
January 27th
Residents in the Lorson Ranch area are asking people to place blue lights on their homes as a way to honor Gannon Stauch.
