Today is the 12th day of CO. v. Letecia Stauch, where Letecia is pleading not guilty by reason of insanity<\/em>. Letecia’s plea signifies her admittance to killing Gannon. This means that in 2020, this 35-year-old wife, mother of one, stepmother of two and career schoolteacher, murdered Gannon (and brutally so). Then, she attempted to conceal the evidence by stuffing his body and bedding into a suitcase, and driving 1,500 miles southwest to Pace, Florida, to toss it from a highway overpass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yes, she’s on trial, but Letecia is guilty as sin<\/strong><\/strong> in the eyes of public opinion.<\/strong> Even though she’s clearly crazy, public consensus is that she’s also SANE, and that’s the worst kind of crazy there is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let’s dive in to the beginning parts of what we know: who Gannon was, how Letecia met the Stauch’s, what led to this tragedy, and the general timeline up to when Gannon’s body was found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gannon Jacob Stauch was born on September 29, 2008, to Eugene Albert \u201cAl\u201d Stauch and Landen Bullard Hiott in Loris, South Carolina. He entered the world as a fighter, which is sadly how he left it. Gannon was born premature; a one-pound six-ounce baby boy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of Gannon’s condition, doctors gave him a 10% chance of survival. They said if he were to survive, he would be severely mentally and physically disabled. Gannon beat all those odds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2020, Gannon was a fifth-grade student at Grand Mountain School in El Paso County. He was known to be kind, shy and quiet. He loved tacos, the color blue and his Nintendo Switch, especially the game Sonic<\/em>. He was in talented and gifted student programs. He had a circle of friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When members of the community gathered to search for Gannon, they used red ribbons to raise awareness. Students wore blue to school in honor of Gannon. Some neighbors also changed their porch lights to blue to “help Gannon find his way home.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al and then-wife Landen Stauch met Letecia Hardin in 2013 when they all played on a local softball team together. Al and Landen were married for almost 10 years at the time and had two children: Gannon and his younger sister Laina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia was skilled at softball, having played recreationally and competitively throughout grade school. She grew up around the area of Lumberton, North Carolina, where she attended high school. At the time, Letecia had a 12-year-old daughter, Hailey Hunt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al and Landen separated at some point in 2014. Before a divorce was finalized, Al and Letecia started dating. Allegedly, the Stauch’s marriage was failing and both Landen and Al cheated on each other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n By January 2015, Al and Letecia were married. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Initially, Gannon and Laina lived in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with their mother Landen, who was a health and physical education teacher at the time, and her new husband Mike Hiott. <\/p>\n\n\n For a few years, the kids shuffled back and forth between households for holidays and summer breaks. It was stressful all around for both sides of the family. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Over time, Al grew concerned about the children’s safety over at Landen’s home. He worried about drugs being around them, which was presumably related to Mike Hiott. At the time, Landen was pregnant with her third child, a daughter she named Novah (Gannon’s half-sister). The pregnancy was high-risk and she was hospitalized for a time because of it. Landen was also given strict orders to be on bed rest, which affected her ability to fully care for Gannon and Laina. (Landen and Mike Hiott have since divorced.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al and Letecia were awarded full custody of Gannon and Laina in 2018. The kids then moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to live together as a full-time family of five.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Little did they know, who they were moving in with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia’s criminal dates back to before she graduated from Lumberton High School\u00a0in 2001. There, she excelled in sports and academics, and she also made a fake bomb threat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Later that year, after graduation, Letecia was charged with simple assault and communicating threats, though the charges were dropped. She was also arrested for car theft and sentenced to 45 days in jail, issued a $1,000 fine and placed on an 18-month probation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n From 2002 to 2011, Letecia was in an on- and off-relationship with Chance Hunt, the father of her daughter, Harley Hunt. (Harley was born on May 1, 2002.) In 2010, Letecia was arrested for domestic violence and domestic abuse in Horry County, South Carolina. After that arrest, she went by “Tecia.” (Chance also had over 70 criminal offenses to his name.)<\/p>\n\n\n Letecia went on to receive a doctorate in education from Liberty University. Her teaching certificate was suspended in North Carolina and terminated in South Carolina due to several offenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Less than a year after she divorced Chance, Letecia and Al started dating. In 2014, Chance then, 34, died from a drug overdose. He tested positive for benzodiazepines (Xanax), THC, hydrocodone, fentanyl, and alcohol. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia told her daughter Harley that Chance died during a home-invasion-gone-wrong. She learned about the real nature of his death from the Internet when she was 20 years old, during her mother’s trial. It was one of many truths that would come to light about her mom, and still more will be revealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al started working for the U.S. National Guard in 2005. He is currently an operations officer in the 100th Missile Defense Brigade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2017, Al was stationed in Alaska, and the family had to relocate from South Carolina. Letecia begrudgingly moved with the kids, but she hated it. In court, Harley testified that Letecia made comments about committing suicide if she had to live in Alaska any longer. Initially, Gannon and Laina spent summers in Alaska and were with their mother, Landen, during the school year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Coincidentally, Letecia filed a claim of sexual assault on her by two of Al’s coworkers, one of whom was his captain. The motive is believed to have been to relocate Al to a different base\u2014and it worked. In 2019, the Stauch’s returned to South Carolina and then relocated to Colorado Springs, which is in-between three military bases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (It’s also around this time that Letecia tells Al she’s pregnant with twins. Hint: She wasn’t<\/strong>.)<\/p>\n\n\n Letecia felt like a \u201cglorified babysitter,” a term later uncovered in her Google search history. She was resentful toward Al about being the primary caretaker of Gannon and Laina. She felt Al didn’t return her affections or give her the attention she so desperately pined for. The couple fought often. Letecia frequently accused Al of being with other women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al’s job required him to be away from home often, anywhere from three to 14 days at a time. This meant that Letecia, who worked full time as a teacher, was often singlehandedly responsible for all three children. Letecia misdirected much of her anger at Al toward Landen, the kids’ mother, and then toward Gannon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn’t exciting. It wasn’t sexy. It wasn’t what she thought she signed up for. Life was more hectic with all three kids around, and it wasn’t so easy having a partner whose job kept him away from home. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia wanted excitement. First, she started to seek it out by changing her career. Not long before these crimes occurred, Letecia started the process of becoming a flight attendant. Though it paid less than working as a teacher, the job would allow her to travel the world. In other words, it would require her <\/em>to be out of the house and free from the responsibilities she didn’t want. <\/strong>Letecia said that Al discouraged it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia also filed two false burglary reports during the course of their marriage. Why? Who knows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s also important to mention that Al allegedly started an affair with another woman toward the end of their relationship, and that Letecia was suspicious about it. (Al is now married to his third wife, Heather Whitworth, who was supposedly that<\/em> other woman.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now bearing all this in mind, here’s a timeline of the what happened during Gannon’s disappearance and up to when his body was discovered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Al is scheduled to go to Oklahoma for training. He allegedly spends the night at the Colorado Springs Airport, where he also brings his mother, who was visiting, to board an 8:30 pm flight. (It\u2019s been said that he spent the night with his then-girlfriend, Heather Whitmore, who arrived home at 4:15 am.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n That afternoon, Letecia starts a string of Google searches on her phone, which later becomes evidence in Gannon’s missing person investigation. Written verbatim, that day these searches were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n There were also deleted search terms found on Letecia’s iPhone:<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the morning, Letecia takes Gannon and Laina on a hike at Garden of the Gods Visitor & Nature Center, a 1,341-acre public park. Harley plans to go with them, but is called in to work. (She was a receptionist at a nearby Massage Envy.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gannon struggles on the hike, according to Letecia. He injured his foot the night before on wooden boards left on the garage floor. His foot starts to bother him during the hike and he also starts having stomach pains. He defecates in his pants. The three of them plan to eat at Burger King but return home early so Gannon can shower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Later that night, the \u201ccandle incident<\/strong>\u201d occurs. Gannon allegedly lights a candle to conceal the smell of diarrhea, and he drops the candle and candle wax on the carpet. The candle smoke signals the smoke detector and Letecia says she saw two- to three-foot-tall flames. Al later remarks that it’s out of character for Gannon to light a candle for any reason. Letecia extinguishes the fire. <\/p>\n\n\n Letecia, Gannon and Laina get into her car, a black Volkswagen Tiguan, and drive around the block to “calm down.” When they return, Letecia cuts out the piece of carpet where the candle wax fell. She plans to replace it the next day. She is allegedly very nervous about Al finding out what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gannon\u2019s forearms are burned from the incident. Letecia says that he gets blood on the walls from his burns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia tries airing out the basement to dissipate the smell of smoke. Harley, who normally sleeps downstairs, sleeps upstairs with her mother because it’s too cold downstairs. Curiously, Gannon remains downstairs in the cold by himself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia’s Google searches from that morning include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia is expected to start a new job at Mountain Ridge Middle School. Curiously, instead of telling the school her stepson is sick and she needs to stay home, she lies and says her stepfather was killed in a car accident. (One of her stepfathers was<\/em> hit by a car and killed, but that was many years <\/strong>ago.)<\/p>\n\n\n According to Letecia, Gannon stays home from school with a stomach ache. She doesn’t mention his burns to Al. Gannon accompanies Letecia as she visits Petco twice to buy costumes for the family dogs, because the store is having a sale. They leave home around 10:15 am and Gannon appears on a neighbor’s security footage. The way he walks suggests he is drowsy. Gannon\u2019s phone is left behind at Petco. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia also brings Gannon to meet someone she connected with on Craiglist, so she can check out a bicycle she wants to surprise Al with. They return home around 2:15 pm. In later surveillance footage, only Letecia is seen exiting the car. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Between 3-4 pm, Letecia says that Gannon leaves the home to walk to a friend\u2019s house. She says he doesn\u2019t communicate the name of his friend or provide her with an address. Gannon is not captured on any of the neighbors\u2019 security cameras. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Harley returns home from work. Letecia sends her and Laina to dollar store to pick up carpet cleaner, trash bags and baking soda. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia calls 9-1-1 to report Gannon missing. She alerts Al and he books the next available flight home. Authorities are under the impression that Gannon is a runaway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deputies from the El Paso County Sheriff\u2019s Department arrives at the Stauch residence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A six-week-long investigation effort kicks off to find Gannon. Canine units, drones, hundreds of volunteers, personnel from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Colorado Springs Police Department and the FBI are involved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia’s Google searches from that day include: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia picks up Al at the Colorado Springs airport at 9 am. She isn\u2019t driving her car, but a red Kia Rio. It\u2019s a rental. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia tells Al that she’s nearing the mileage cutoff for her lease. She rented a car to avoid extra charges. She says she left her vehicle in the parking lot of a local elementary school, and a coworker drove her to Avis, a car rental chain with a store at the airport. Al finds the scenario odd. He later drives through the parking lot of the school to see if Letecia\u2019s car is there. It isn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Around 10:30 pm, Harley, picks up her mom in her own car, a white Volkswagen Jetta, and brings her back home. They stay in a nearby hotel that night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Skipping ahead::: <\/strong>Investigators later determine that Letecia drove her car to the airport and parked in a short-term parking lot. She returned to the lot at 7 pm that night. It\u2019s believed that Letecia likely hid Gannon\u2019s body in her car to prevent Al from finding out. She may have moved the body at this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia returns the rental car at 9 am. She only drove it for a total of 70 miles. (For the record, if you exceed lease mileage by 70 miles, it would cost less than $20.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Tuesday, Letecia scheduled a meeting with investigators at the El Paso County Sheriff\u2019s Office at 10 am. She arrives at two hours late. Before the interview, she goes to a car wash. Her car is seized that day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n During the interview, Letecia tells investigators what \u201creally\u201d happened. This is story No. 1. There are at least four<\/em> stories in total. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia tells Lead Detective Jessica Bethel that she returned home from Petco with Gannon around 2:15 pm. They visit Petco twice that day to purchase outfits for the family dogs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier that day, Letecia said she passes by an area of her complex that was under construction. She speaks to a laborer, \u201cEdguardo,\u201d about paying him to replace the section of the carpet that was burned the night before. She provides him with her garage door code. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When Letecia and Gannon return home, Edguardo is still there. He is armed with one of Letecia or Al\u2019s guns and threatens her with it repeatedly. Letecia says that Edguardo sexually assaults her and subsequently kidnaps Gannon. She doesn\u2019t call 9-1-1 to report the assault or abduction. Instead, she cleans up the scene to prevent Harley or Laina from knowing what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n During the meeting, investigators seize Letecia\u2019s cell phone and apply for a warrant to take DNA samples from her. Letecia then shoves tissues into her pants while saying that she peed herself and had chest pains. She is brought to a local hospital and evaluated. She is fine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The plan is for Letecia to have a rape kit done. She tells the nurse that she wants to have Harley in the room for support. She goes to the waiting room to get Harley, but sneaks out of the hospital. Harley picks her up at a nearby Taco Bell. Letecia wasn’t under arrest so she cannot be charged with leaving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The status of Gannon\u2019s case is changed from runway to endangered missing child. Because of the change, the El Paso County Sheriff\u2019s Office is able to notify the FBI and the National Center for Miseimf & Exploited Children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia is not yet a suspect, but she chooses to do a live interview with reporter Spencer Wilson of KKTV, a local CBS affiliate. During the interview, she has her back facing the camera, which is strikingly odd. She tells Spencer that her family has received more than 20 death threats and repeatedly proclaims her innocence. She mentions how she expects an apology from her family, and especially from Al. Letecia says that she can’t wait for Gannon to come home so he can tell everyone the truth about what happened to him; another odd statement. Spencer later testifies in her trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia and Harley travel cross-country. The plan is to return to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Letecia feels uncomfortable staying at her marital home because Landen, Gannon’s mother and Al’s ex-wife, is currently staying there due to the ongoing investigation. She takes it upon herself to remove her and Harley from the situation instead of staying to support the effort to find Gannon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia rents a Budget van to move her and Harley’s belongings out of the home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s believed that Gannon\u2019s deceased body was inside of a suitcase, which Letecia kept in the trunk. Harley said she blasted the air conditioner for the whole trip, even when it wasn’t cold. (It was supposedly an effort to mask the smell.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is a map of the route that Letecia and Harley took.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A neighbor of the Stauch’s, Roderrick Drayton, comes forward with his home surveillance footage, which depicts Letecia coming and going on the day of Gannon’s disappearance. The footage shows Letecia and Gannon leaving in Al’s red Nissan Frontier around 10:15 am on Monday, January 27, 2020, but it only shows Letecia returning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia is arrested in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She is charged with the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gannon\u2019s remains are located. His body is found in a pink suitcase, in the fetal position, inside of his bed sheets and comfortable. The suitcase is found underneath a bridge on the Florida Panhandle, 1,500 miles from his home in Colorado Springs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Gannon suggested 18 stab wounds and a gunshot wound to his lower jaw. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rest in peace, Gannon. May justice finally be served.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Letecia Stauch is finally facing trial for the murder of her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2139,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","WB4WB4WP_MODE":"","WB4WP_PAGE_SCRIPTS":"","WB4WP_PAGE_STYLES":"","WB4WP_PAGE_FONTS":"","WB4WP_PAGE_HEADER":"","WB4WP_PAGE_FOOTER":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39,17,20,12,1],"tags":[221,30,235,226,225,236,228,121,224,234,220,230,232,223,231,229,219,237,239,233,37,52,227,240,238],"class_list":{"0":"post-2035","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-abuse-cases","8":"category-crimes-involving-children","9":"category-murder","10":"category-true-crime","11":"category-uncategorized","12":"tag-al-stauch","13":"tag-child-abuse","14":"tag-co-v-letecia-stauch","15":"tag-colorado-crime","16":"tag-colorado-springs","17":"tag-colorado-versus-letecia-stauch","18":"tag-crimes-against-children","19":"tag-female-murderers","20":"tag-gannon","21":"tag-gannon-and-sonic","22":"tag-gannon-stauch","23":"tag-garden-of-the-gods","24":"tag-grand-mountain-school","25":"tag-harley-hunt","26":"tag-landen-stauch","27":"tag-landon-hiott","28":"tag-letecia-stauch","29":"tag-letecia-taylor-stauch","30":"tag-nissan-frontier","31":"tag-sonic","32":"tag-true-crime","33":"tag-true-crime-beat","34":"tag-violent-crime","35":"tag-volkswagen-jetta","36":"tag-volkswagen-tiguan"},"yoast_head":"\n
\n\n\n\nWho Was Gannon Stauch?<\/h1>\n\n\n
![\"Gannon](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/GS.jpg?resize=459%2C459&ssl=1\")
\n\n\n\nHow Did Gannon Meet Letecia?<\/h1>\n\n\n
![\"Al](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LSAS.jpg?resize=453%2C255&ssl=1\")
![\"Al](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ASLS2.jpg?resize=394%2C221&ssl=1\")
\n\n\n\nLetecia’s Past<\/h1>\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/CH.jpg?resize=207%2C288&ssl=1\")
![\"Harley](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/HH.jpg?resize=306%2C231&ssl=1\")
\n\n\n\nLetecia Moves To Alaska With Al And Kids<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Al](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/ASLS3.jpg?resize=451%2C450&ssl=1\")
Letecia Resents The Responsibilities Of A Stepmom <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nGannon Stauch:
Timeline Before, During and After His
Disappearance and Discovery <\/h2>\n\n\n\nSaturday, January 25, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LS2.jpg?resize=173%2C232&ssl=1\")
Sunday, January 26, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
![\"Garden](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Garden_of_the_Gods_central_gardens_from_the_north.jpg?resize=451%2C289&ssl=1\")
\n
\n\n\n\nMonday, January 27, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
![\"Laina](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/GS2.jpg?resize=359%2C359&ssl=1\")
Around 5 pm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
6:55 pm<\/h2>\n\n\n
![\"Gannon](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/GS-1.jpg?resize=250%2C319&ssl=1\")
10 pm<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n\nTuesday, January 28, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWednesday, January 29, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
The First Of Many Fabricated Stories<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nThursday, January 30, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![\"Letecia's](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rsw-800cg-true.jpg?resize=352%2C217&ssl=1\")
Friday, January 31, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSaturday, February 1, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/rsw-1408cg-true.jpg?resize=750%2C312&ssl=1\")
\n\n\n\nSunday, February 2, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMonday, March 2, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n\n\n![\"Landen](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/truecrimebeat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/LS23.jpg?resize=326%2C263&ssl=1\")
Wednesday, March 18, 2020<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nResources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n