Gannon Stauch Case Files
Gannon Stauch
The Disappearance of Gannon Stauch Monday, January 27, 2020 At 6:55 p.m., the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO) dispatch received a report of a runaway child from the 6600 block of Mandan Drive in the Lorson Ranch neighborhood. The missing child was identified as Gannon Stauch, last seen between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. earlier that day. By 7:32 p.m., Gannon was officially entered into state and national law enforcement databases as an active runaway. Deputies responded to the scene and conducted an initial search of the area, but no immediate signs of the child were found. Tuesday, January 28, 2020. With no developments overnight, the case was escalated to EPSO investigators at 12:29 p.m. Detectives began a comprehensive investigation, conducting interviews, reviewing surveillance footage, and pursuing additional leads to determine Gannon’s whereabouts.
Gannon Stauch

Gannon Stauch

Gannon Stauch Case File
Gannon Stauch
Family Timeline
Key Individuals and Vehicles:
  • Victim: Gannon Stauch (DOB: 09/29/2008)
  • Defendant: Letecia Stauch (DOB: 08/04/1983), Gannon’s stepmother
  • Father: Al Stauch, Gannon’s biological father, married to Letecia
  • Harley Hunt: Letecia’s daughter, 17 years old at the time
  • Laina Stauch: Gannon’s younger sister, 8 years old
  • Key Vehicles: 
  • Red Nissan Frontier – Used by Al Staucha
  • Black Volkswagen Tiguan – Used by Letecia Stauch
  • White Volkswagen Jetta – Used by Harley Hunt
  • Silver Nissan Altima – Rented by Letecia’s aunt (used Jan 30 – Feb 1, 2020)
  • White Kia Rio – Rented by Letecia (Jan 28 – 29, 2020)
Timeline: September 20th, 1982
  • Eugene Albert “Al” Stauch is born
August 4th,1983
  • Letecia Hardin (Stauch) is born
May 1, 2002
  • Harley Hunt, Letecia’s daughter, is born
2003
  • Al Stauch and Landen begin dating
2005
  • Al Stauch and Landen marry
September 29th, 2008
  • Gannon Stauch was born four months premature and received prolonged medical care.
2008
  • Letecia and Chance Hunt, Harley’s father, separate
November 2010
  • Letecia was first employed with the Horry County School District
January 22, 2012
  • Laina is born prematurely
2013
  • Al Stauch and Letecia meet; they play softball together. Al does not have custody of the children; he shares custody. They live in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
January 2014
  • Al and Letecia begin dating; Al later says they started dating in Spring/Summer 2014. He separated from Landen at this time.
2014
  • Al meets Harley; Letecia and Al move to Charleston, South Carolina, with Harley, and Gannon and Laina visit.
September 2014
  • Al Stauch and Landen are legally separated.
October 2, 2014
  • Chance Hunt, Harley’s father, dies of a drug overdose. He and Letecia have been separated / divorced.
January 2015
  • Al and Letecia marry
June 29, 2015 
  • Letecia resigns from her teaching position with Horry County.
2015
  • The family moves back to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina where they own a home.
May 11, 2016
  • Leticia’s teaching license is suspended in North Carolina following conflicts between her and the district; the official reason is due to unprofessional conduct for breach of contract Order
June 9, 2016
  • Al takes a new assignment in Alaska
2017
  • Al moves to Alaska by himself; the kids visit him in the summer. Landen has custody most of the year. Letecia was unhappy with Al’s career move
March 2017
  • Al petitions for modified custody; Al seeks more custody of the kids as he feels Landen’s home is less safe due to suspected drug activity and the history of her new partner.
March 2018
  • A new custody arrangement is approved by the courts.
2018 – 2019
  • Letecia greatly dislikes Alaska. She tells Harley they are going to have a last dinner together because she has “already taken them” (assumed to be pills). The next day, Letecia is alive and they don’t speak of this incident again.
  • While visiting Al, Letecia is allegedly sexually harassed by his fellow soldiers. She files a complaint. The situation is handled by reassigning Al to Colorado.
January 2019
  • The family moves from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Letecia and Harley move first, with Laina and Gannon following.
January 2019
  • Letecia, Gannon, and Laina move to a rental home in Colorado Springs.
February 2019
  • Al moves to Colorado Springs for the first time to be with the family
May 2019
  • Al cuts off the tip of a finger while woodworking. He receives a prescription for hydrocodone, which he does not finish and keeps in his nightstand.
2019
  • Gannon and Laina enter counseling. Gannon’s therapy is focused on dealing with “his issues” with Letecia, which include him allegedly threatening her.
Fall 2019
  • Letecia is “paranoid” about an alleged car accident she was in involving a hit and run. Police say it wasn’t her
  • Letecia claims that there has been a burglary at the home; she later says she made this up
  • Letecia is employed at the French Elementary School
  • Letecia is having struggles with her job; she is seeing a doctor for mental health issues. Al goes to one appointment with her.
  • The family acquires two bulldog puppies named Sadie and Chance.
Christmas 2019
  • The family celebrates an early Christmas; Gannon and Laina are with their mother for the holidays
  • Letecia, having introduced herself as Harley on Facebook, meets neighbor Nicole Mobley to give her free clothes
  • Letecia begins training to be a flight attendant and takes a trip just after Christmas for this purpose.
  • Letecia will later state that she couldn’t make it to training because she couldn’t find anyone to watch the kids as Al works at night; she is rescheduled for February (2020).
January 2020
  • Laina and Gannon return from their mother’s home.
  • Al and Letecia go on a trip to Florida alone for their anniversary; Letecia hires a babysitter for all the kids.
January 16, 2020
  • Leslie Hicks, assistant principal of Mountain Ridge Middle School at the time, reaches out to Letecia about her interest in a resource teacher position for students with special education needs or IEPs.
January 17, 2020
  • Letecia Stauch was hired as a resource teacher at Mountain Vista and is set to start on January 24.
January 18, 2020
  • Al’s mother comes to stay with the family; Letecia and Al have tension
January 22, 2020
  • Letecia is due to come in for her interview at the middle school; she begins her trial period working with students.
January 24, 2020
  • Gannon is in school.
  • Al speaks with Landen as part of their routine.
  • Letecia began working at Mountain Vista School.
January 25, 2020
  • Al works during the day.
  • Al speaks with Landen as part of their routine.
  • After work and a family dinner, Al drives his mother to the airport.
  • Al remains at the airport overnight for his flight the next morning.
January 26, 2020
  • Al departs for a two-week training in Oklahoma.
  • 2:00 PM Letecia, Gannon, and Laina go on a nature hike and take a selfie. Harley is called into work and does not attend.
  • 4:20 PM They leave the hike early due to Gannon complaining of stomach issues.
  • 5:48 PM They return home.
  • Messages are exchanged between Al and Gannon’s phone regarding stomach issues.
    • Gannon asks about “bath salts.”
    • Al interprets this as a drug reference and texts Letecia to secure bathroom items.
    • Al denies permission for Gannon to visit a friend who allegedly requested bath salts.
  • Evening: The “candle incident” occurs, and Letecia records the aftermath.
    • Letecia texts Harley about the incident.
    • Harley responds when available.
  • 10:45 PM Harley returns home.
    • She observes Gannon asleep in his room.
    • Letecia, Harley, and Laina sleep upstairs.
January 27, 2020  (Day of Murder)
  • 2:48 AM Letecia texts Al stating Gannon is not feeling well.
  • 4:37 AM Letecia sent a text to her employer, falsely claiming her stepfather had died in a car accident.
Letecia: “I’m sorry for the time of night message, but my stepfather passed away… Someone hit him with a car while he was walking. I can update you at a later time”. Hicks: Sorry, Do we need a substitute to fill in for that day? Letecia “Yes, it’s my parent. I can’t believe that would not be an assumption in a time like this”.
  • Early morning, Letecia communicates with Al about the candle incident and Gannon’s illness. Letecia calls Gannon’s school and reports he will be absent due to illness.
  • 7:20 AM Harley wakes and cannot find Letecia.
    • Harley texts Letecia asking if she is home.
  • 8:00 AM Harley leaves for work.
  • 8:18 AM Letecia texts Al a photo of Gannon sleeping.
  • 8:30 AM Harley clocks in at work.
  • 9:00 AM Letecia texts Harley a photo of Sadie the dog.
  • 9:27 AM Letecia sends Harley screenshots of messages between Al and Gannon regarding bath salts.
  • 9:56 AM Letecia locks her phone and leaves it at the residence.
  • 10:12 AM Letecia and Gannon leave the residence in Al’s Nissan Frontier.
  • 10:27 AM A message from Gannon’s phone tells Harley to contact that phone because Letecia left hers at home.
  • 11:22 AM Letecia completes a purchase at Petco.
  • 12:06 PM Al texts Gannon’s phone. The message is not immediately read.
  • 1:20 PM A message from Gannon’s phone tells Harley that he misses her.
  • 1:21 PM Gannon’s phone reads Al’s earlier message.
    • A reply asks to play Zelda on the Nintendo Switch.
    • Al denies permission.
  • 1:22 PM Letecia returns to Petco.
  • 1:43 PM A search is conducted from Gannon’s phone: “Can my parents find my cell phone if it’s off?”
  • 2:22 PM Letecia and Gannon return to the residence.
  • 2:45 PM Letecia unlocks her phone.
  • 3:15 PM Laina returns home from school. Letecia tells her that Gannon is ill and instructs her to stay outside.
  • 3:55 PM Al texts Gannon again. The message goes unread. Gannon’s phone continues to show activity.
  • 4:00 PM Harley leaves work.
  • 4:27 PM Harley arrives home.
  • 4:51 PM Harley and Laina leave to purchase the cleaning supplies requested by Letecia.
  • 6:55 PM Letecia calls emergency services to report Gannon missing
  • 7:02 PM Letecia calls the non-emergency line.
    • Gannon is classified as a runaway due to age.
    • Harley begins searching for Gannon.
    • Letecia communicates with Al regarding the situation.
    • Community members begin searching.
  • 9:00 PM Search efforts continue.
    • Four hours after the initial report
    • Detectives arrive and conduct an initial walkthrough of the home.
  • Evening: Al receives messages about Gannon being missing after finishing training activities.
    • Nicole Mobley contacts Letecia on Facebook seeking information. Letecia blocks her.
    • Nicole Mobley creates a fake profile and communicates with Letecia.
January 28, 2020
  • 5:14 AM: Letecia texted a babysitter with conflicting information about Gannon’s disappearance.

LS: “This happened after 3:30” LS: “We talked to him then and told be home by 6” Sitter: “someone posted he wasn’t at school either” LS: “He had to go to doctor for his stomach” LS: “But he was here in the afternoon” Sitter: “where did he say he was at” LS: “Honestly, I don’t keep up with friends”

  • 6:21 AM Letecia texts Harley, telling her not to open the door for anyone.
  • Morning, community members begin raising awareness and reviewing security footage.
  • 8:13 AM Letecia leaves the family home.
  • 8:30 AM Letecia’s Volkswagen Tiguan is parked at the airport.
  • 8:30 AM Letecia rents a Kia Rio.
  • 8:48 AM Letecia and Harley exchange texts. Harley calls out of work.
  • 8:50 AM Al returns to Colorado and is picked up by Letecia in the rental car.
  • 8:51 AM Harley’s Jetta remains parked at the family home.
  • Unknown time, Landen arrives in Colorado and stays with the family.
    • Al’s mother and sister arrive and stay in Gannon’s room.
    • Landen’s brother is also present.
  • 1:00 PM Al and Letecia meet with detectives at Starbucks.
    • They explain prior events, including stomach issues, the candle incident, and bath salts messages.
    • Gannon is described as a homebody and straight-A student.
    • Al reports that Gannon’s Nintendo Switch is missing.
    • Gannon’s phone is turned over to investigators.
  • 3:45 PM Letecia’s location becomes unknown.
  • 4:00 PM Investigators request Gannon’s toothbrush for DNA.
  • 4:19 p.m. Letecia texts Al, “They are asking for our son’s toothbrush but said nothing is wrong.”

LS: “Something isn’t right I think they’re hiding something Al: “Who, the police?” LS: “Yes they asked for toothbrushes” Al: “Hmm, what do u think they’re hiding?”

  • 4:30 PM Al is at the sheriff’s office for further interviews. Letecia does not attend.
  • 4:50 PM Harley texts Letecia, stating Al said she needs to come to his location.
  • 5:00 PM to 5:30 PM Letecia and Harley exchange texts regarding instructions and events at the house. Letecia’s location remains unknown.
  • 5:45 PM Investigators call Letecia requesting Gannon’s toothbrush.
  • 6:00 PM Letecia calls investigators.
    • The call is not recorded.
    • She states she cannot attend an in-person interview due to stomach issues.
  • 6:12 PM to 6:30 PM Letecia texts Harley about the activity at the home.
    • Al gives a media interview after leaving the sheriff’s office.
    • Letecia’s location remains unknown.
  • Evening: Letecia’s absence is noted by Al and the family.
  • Detectives search for her Tiguan at French Elementary School based on her prior statement.
  • 7:00 PM Letecia retrieves her Tiguan from the airport.
  • 7:03 PM Letecia calls Detective Bethel, complaining that Harley has been left with investigators.
  • 7:21 PM Detectives arrive at the residence and request to speak with Harley. Harley texts Letecia for guidance.
  • 7:37 PM Detectives search Mesa Ridge High School and airport parking lots.
  • 8:15 PM Al texts Letecia. The message is not read until 9:54 PM.
  • 8:30 PM to 10:20 PM Letecia’s vehicle is in motion.
  • 9:55 PM Letecia and Harley speak by phone. Letecia instructs Harley to leave the home with Laina and not disclose her location.
  • 10:00 PM Investigators arrive at the home to photograph and collect evidence. Harley is the only adult present.
  • 10:02 PM Harley is stopped from leaving and questioned.
  • 10:05 PM Letecia texts Harley asking whether anyone has asked about her whereabouts.
  • Evening, Detectives transport Laina to Al.
  • 10:23 PM Letecia calls Harley and instructs her to meet at a hotel.
  • 10:26 PM Harley’s phone leaves the residence.
  • 10:45 p.m. Letecia makes a statement to investigators via text message:

Letecia: “What do you want from me? Because I have nothing. One of your very own leaked to me what you guys were doing. I did nothing/ or am being set up. I’m not really even sure other than being told that by another blue with El Paso. I was told I couldn’t go home to sleep, and on top of that, men were sent to a home with a minor female, and she was forced to stay there, not even to have good. Every conversation that said, even at this moment, I can hear inside. What do you want from me? Detective Bethel: “Come in and talk to me. I would just like information to find Gannon.”

  • 11:30 PM Harley attempts to contact Letecia, who has not arrived at the hotel.
  • Late evening, Letecia parks her Tiguan near Harley’s workplace.
  • Harley picks her up and they return to the residence.
  • 11:52 PM Letecia speaks with Detective Bethel regarding complaints about the investigation.
January 29, 2020
  • 1:30 AM to 2:00 AM Letecia texts Harley.
  • Early morning, Letecia tells Al a version of events claiming she was assaulted.
  • Al secures weapons in his truck and clears Gannon’s room.
  • Morning Letecia requests a meeting with Detective Bethel.
  • A meeting is scheduled for 10:00 AM.
  • 8:00 AM Letecia and Harley leave together.
  • 9:00 AM Letecia returns the Kia Rio keys. Detectives search the vehicle.
  • MorningHarley clocks in at work.
  • Letecia retrieves her Tiguan.
  • Investigators continue processing the home.
  • 10:00 AM Letecia is scheduled for an interview.
  • 11:30 AM Letecia is at a car wash with her Tiguan.
  • Late morning Letecia texts Detective Bethel stating she is delayed due to threats.
  • 12:00 PM Letecia arrives for her interview.
  • Afternoon Letecia provides a new version of events.
  • Detectives have her repeat the account multiple times.
  • The interview lasts more than four hours.
  • Letecia is detained pending warrants.
  • During interview Letecia reports chest pain and is transported to the hospital.
  • 2:14 PM: Letecia texts Nicole

LS: “When we came back inside from the smoke there was blood on both of us. I didn’t know what to do. I was scared I would get (unknown word) out about it and I don’t know if he should go to the doctor. I kept trying to add the candle thing but Albert kept saying it was small and minor. I was scared the basement was smoky and when I threw the cover everything we both had blood.” LS: “You don’t understand how it is to be a stepmom”

  • Afternoon Harley is notified and leaves work.
  • Hospital Letecia refuses a sexual assault exam.
  • She signs herself out.
  • Later Harley and Janine pick Letecia up near the hospital.
  • They search for her vehicle.
  • Unknown time Letecia’s Tiguan is seized.
  • Evening Letecia asks to stay with Janine.
  • Harley, Letecia, and their dogs stay overnight.
  • Volkswagen Tiguan Seized. Luminol testing detected suspected blood traces on:
    • Rear bumper.
    • Rear step plate.
    • Passenger seat areas.
    • Inside the Tiguan, investigators found a Dollar Store receipt for:
    • Trash bags.
    • Baking soda.
    • Carpet cleaner.
    • Vinegar (used to clean blood stains).
January 30, 2020
  • Case upgraded to Endangered Missing Child.
  • EPSO requests resources from NCMEC and the FBI Crimes Abduction Rapid Deployment Team
  • 4:30 AM Letecia sends a resignation message from Harley’s phone to Massage Envy.
  • Unknown time, Letecia’s mother, Deborah, aunt Brenda Acquard, and half-brother Dakota Lowry arrive in Colorado.
  • Brenda rents a Nissan Altima.
  • Daytime Law enforcement begins covert surveillance of Letecia and Harley.
    • Harley drives.
    • She and Letecia go to Marshalls.
  • 1:24 PM Law enforcement approaches Letecia with a warrant for both phones.
    • Letecia attempts to flee.
    • Officers recover both phones and Harley’s vehicle.
  • Afternoon Letecia’s family meets them at Marshalls.
    • They travel to Extended Stay Suites.
    • Harley, Dakota, and Letecia stay in one room.
  • 3:38 PM Law enforcement installs a tracking device on the Nissan Altima.
  • 4:16 p.m. to 5:13 p.m. Letecia heads back to Douglas County (in Nissan Altima) near Highway 105/Perry Park Road in Douglas County. Detectives believe she went back to make sure Gannon’s remains were not seen near the road, and evidence of his body was covered up
January 31, 2020
  • Morning Brenda rents a moving van.
  • Letecia and Dakota go to the police station to retrieve her pocketbook. Outcome unclear.
  • Daytime Letecia and Harley move belongings from the residence under law enforcement observation.
    • Investigators monitor items removed from the home.
  • 12:10 PM Letecia records an interview with KKTV with her back turned to the camera.
    • She discusses accusations on social media and describes Gannon as a good child.
  • Daytime Investigators search Harley’s car.
    • Dakota drives the moving van.
  • 3:00 PM Letecia and Harley are observed downtown exiting the Nissan Altima.
    • They return to the vehicle and go to the hotel.
    • Law enforcement follows and installs a GPS tracker.
  • 3:30 PM Letecia states she is going to get dog food and leaves alone in the Altima.
  • 4:41 PM Letecia drives to the same area previously associated with Tiguan activity, where Gannon’s remains were later believed to have been deposited.
  • 6:00 PM Letecia returns to the hotel.
February 1, 2020
  • Morning Al turns over his Nissan Frontier to investigators.
  • Daytime Investigators process Letecia’s Tiguan.
  • 8:17 AM Dakota assists Letecia in obtaining a second rental van.
  • Letecia loads items into the van.
  • Dakota observes a heavy suitcase, which Letecia says contains softball equipment.
  • Daytime Letecia texts Detective Bethel from another phone requesting her passport.
    • Dakota returns the first van.
  • 4:06 PM The Nissan Altima is returned to the airport.
  • Daytime Letecia departs in the second van.
  • Daytime Letecia purchases a new cellphone at a Walmart in Troy, Colorado.
  • 12:00 PM to 10:00 PM The van travels from Colorado toward Texas.
February 2, 2020
  • 4:00 PM The van is traveling through Texas.
  • 10:00 PM The van stops at Candlewood Suites in Decatur, Texas.
February 3, 2020
  • 10:00 AM The van resumes travel out of Texas.
  • Daytime Neighbor Roderick Drayton releases surveillance footage showing Letecia and Gannon leaving on January 27.
  • Public dispute begins regarding whether Gannon returned.
  • Daytime Detectives search the residence again and document blood evidence in Gannon’s room, including under the bed and on the walls.
  • 4:10 PM to 10:10 PM The van travels through Louisiana into Alabama.
  • 11:43 PM EST Letecia books a room at Candlewood Suites in Pensacola, Florida.
February 4, 2020
  • 12:23 AM EST Letecia checks into Candlewood Suites in Pensacola, Florida.
  • 11:11 AM Letecia checks out.
  • Daytime: The van travels from Ferry Pass, Florida, to Lake City, Florida.
February 5, 2020
  • 12:10 AM The van is in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
  • Daytime Investigators continue processing the residence.
  • Daytime El Paso County Sheriff’s Office releases a public appeal video featuring Al, Landen, and Laina.
  • 9:00 PM The van departs Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
February 6, 2020
  • 12:10 AM The van travels through Pooler, Georgia.
  • Daytime: The van stops at a Days Inn in Forestbrook, South Carolina.
  • Daytime: The van travels through Conway to Myrtle Beach and remains there.
February 7, 2020
  • Daytime: the family home is formally seized by law enforcement.
  • Al and Laina have relocated.
February 12, 2020
  • Daytime Media reports confirm searches in areas where remains were believed to have been deposited.
    • The rental van is returned.
    • Letecia issues a public statement to Denver FOX31 disputing claims that Gannon did not return home on January 27.
    • Letecia impersonates Harley in a call to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office evidence department, attempting to recover seized property.
    • The request is denied due to the ongoing investigation.
February 13, 2020
  • Daytime Al and Letecia participate in the first recorded phone call directed by law enforcement.
    • The call includes a discussion of the candle incident and one version of Letecia’s account.
  • Investigators continue processing the family home.
February 14, 2020
  • Daytime: Multiple recorded phone calls occur between Al and Letecia.
    • Al is coached by law enforcement to elicit information.
    • Letecia avoids revealing her location.
    • Letecia requests immunity.
    • She provides a version of events where Gannon falls off a bike and is abducted.

Call from Letecia to AL:

Letecia: “I don’t kill people.” Al: “Right now tell me the truth, where’s Gannon!” Letecia: “I need immunity!” Letecia: “If they give me immunity I will help.” Letecia: “There’s more details that I can’t discuss that would incriminate myself.” Letecia: “If it’s an accident, are you going to stand by me?” Al: “Yes, absolutely Tecia. I told you that from day one.” Letecia: “I’m sorry for all the stories, I just didn’t know what to do.” Letecia: “I’ve already told you, you think you can be this interrogator all you want.” Al: “No, you’re my wife. I’m trying to talk to you.” Letecia: “You’re not trying to talk to me, you’re trying to put me six feet under. That’s what you’re trying to do.” Al: “Okay, you’re treating me like I’m the court or the law not like I’m our sons’ father.” Letecia: “My hands were tied … all I could hear was Gannon screaming.” Al: “The guy was still there when police searched the home?” Letecia: “Yes, yes!” Al: “Where was he at? Where was he at when they searched our house?” Letecia: (unintelligible)”Anything until I get immunity.”
February 15, 2020
  • 10:04 AM Recorded call between Al and Letecia.
    • Letecia states the bike story was fabricated.
  • 12:10 PM Additional recorded call between Al and Letecia.
  • Daytime A piece of particle board containing blood is recovered from an area where Letecia’s Tiguan and Altima had been tracked.
  • The blood is later confirmed to belong to Gannon.
  • 1:17 PM Call between Letecia and Agent Cronan.
    • Letecia begins recounting events from the day Gannon disappeared.
    • The call ends abruptly.
  • 1:29 PM Letecia calls Al.
February 16, 2020
  • Daytime Letecia tells Teela Cummings she is giving Al false stories to match what she believes he wants to hear.
    • An additional recorded call between Al and Letecia lasted approximately four minutes.
  • 2:34 PM Another recorded call between Al and Letecia.
    • Investigative reporting confirms Quincy Brown, one of the alleged suspects, has been in Mexico for two years.
  • 11:49 PM Recorded call between Al and Letecia continues into the following day.
    • Letecia claims she is five weeks pregnant.
February 17, 2020
  • Daytime Letecia tells an acquaintance she plans to take a polygraph test and return to Colorado.
    • She is not in Colorado at this time.
  • 10:14 AM Leticia Stauch called 321-247-6876 a phone number associated with “fakepolygraph.com”.
    • The website states that she would receive a certificate proving that a real polygraph test was completed, in which the customer can choose the questions and results. Letecia tells the agent she never received confirmation for the test she paid for, and an unknown male said he’d send her an email.
  • 11:16 AM She called a second time, and a man told her that her report had been blocked by management due to the content of the questions.
    • According to the website, Stauch submitted five questions, including: “Did you participate in any way in causing harm to your stepson?” and “Did you participate in any way in causing the death of your stepson?” She submitted “No” for both.
  • 1:53 p.m. Letecia told Laura Abernathy that she was thinking about flying out to Colorado to take a lie detector test to prove her innocence.
    • She said, “They think I’m still in Colorado.”
  • 2:24 PM Recorded call between Al and Letecia.
  • 4:11 p.m. Letecia told an unknown female that she is going to take a lie detector test, but the test wouldn’t be admissible in court and no law enforcement would be present.
February 18, 2020
  • Daytime Letecia contacts fakepolygraph.com regarding a purchased polygraph.
    • She seeks results or a refund.
    • The company refuses due to concerns about illegal activity.
    • Letecia tells CrimeOnline she has passed a polygraph test.
    • The claim is not verified.
February 19, 2020
  • Daytime Letecia and Nicole Mobley’s fake account moves communications off Facebook.
  • 12:11 PM Recorded call between Al and Letecia.
  • Letecia releases the candle video publicly after online speculation questions whether the incident occurred.
February 20, 2020
  • Daytime Al locates Gannon’s Nintendo Switch and turns it over to law enforcement.
February 21, 2020
  • Daytime Investigators continue processing the family home.
  • 1:44 PM Recorded call between Al and Letecia.
  • FBI confirms Letecia is in South Carolina.
  • Letecia provides another version involving a pregnant woman engaged in organized crime.
February 25, 2020
  • Daytime: the family home is documented via video.
February 26, 2020
  • Daytime Investigators continue processing the family home.
February 28, 2020
  • Daytime Investigators continue processing the family home.
  • 1:26 PM Arrest warrant for Letecia is signed. Warrant
  • Arrest warrant issued for Letecia Stauch for Murder in the First Degree – Child Under Twelve – Position of Trust, § 18-3-102(1 )(t); Child Abuse Resulting in Death, § 18-6-401 (1 )( a), (7)(A)(Q; Tampering with a Deceased Human Body, § 18-8-610.5; and Tampering with Physical Evidence, § 18-8-610(1 )( a) Warrant
March 2, 2020
  • Letecia drops Harley off at a recruitment office for an interview.
  • Letecia was stopped while driving away and arrested in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
  • The vehicle she is driving is seized.
  • Letecia was arrested in Myrtle Beach, SC, and extradited to Colorado.
  • Murder in the First Degree – Child Under Twelve
  • Child Abuse Resulting in Death
  • Tampering with a Deceased Human Body
  • Tampering with Physical Evidence
  • Letecia participates in a voluntary interview with FBI Agent John Grusing lasting approximately five hours.
March 3, 2020
  • Daytime Letecia waives extradition and is returned to Colorado.
March 4, 2020
  • During transport to Colorado, Letecia escapes her restraints and attacks an escort officer.
  • The transport stops in Salina, Kansas.
  • Letecia is held in custody while the injured officer receives medical care.
March 5, 2020
  • Daytime Letecia arrives in Colorado.
  • Daytime Al files for divorce.
March 11, 2020:
  • The Chair of the State Board summarily suspended Letecia H. Stauch’s South Carolina educator certificate. Order
March 17, 2020
  • Daytime Bridge inspectors in Pensacola, Florida, discover a suitcase containing Gannon’s remains during a routine inspection.
March 18, 2020
  • Autopsy is performed.
  • Findings include blunt force trauma, sharp force injuries, and a gunshot wound to the jaw.
  • Toxicology reveals hydrocodone and acetaminophen.
March 20, 2020
  • Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office contacts El Paso County investigators regarding the remains.
  • Identification is initially based on physical characteristics.
  • Gannon’s remains were found in a suitcase beneath a bridge in Pace, Florida
    • Gannon’s body found inside a suitcase
    • Gannon’s body was wrapped in blankets.
    • The body of a young man with injuries to the body, a fractured skull, a gunshot wound to the lower jaw, eighteen sharp force wounds, and what appeared to be defensive wounds on the hands.
  • 7:00 PM: An inmate at the El Paso County Jail told deputies she had received a couple of letters from Letecia Stauch, which contained written plans for Letecia Stauch’s escape. Stauch said she was planning to break out of her cell window and measure herself. Stauch said that she will fit through the window. Affidavit
June 4, 2020
  • Letecia is charged with solicitation to commit escape.
  • She had written letters to another inmate offering money in exchange for assistance in escaping custody.
September 27, 2020
  • Gannon is laid to rest in Loris, South Carolina.
April 30, 2021
  • Divorce between Al and Letecia is finalized.
May, 2023
  • A jury found Letecia Stauch guilty, and a judge sentenced her to life without the possibility of parole.
December 28, 2020
  • The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) sent another letter informing Letecia Stauch of the pending action against her educator certificate and her right to a hearing. The SCDE has verified Ms.Stauch’s address. Under the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure 5(b), Ms. Stauch has been given fair notice of constitutional due process. Order
January 27, 2026
  • Three judges heard oral arguments in an appeal for Letecia Stauch, the El Paso County stepmother convicted of killing her stepson, Gannon, six years ago.
  • Letecia Stauch was not present in person at the Colorado Court of Appeals. Eric Samler, an attorney representing her, argued that her case should be reversed because of a juror on her trial and the relationship that juror had.
April 2, 2026
  • A Colorado Court of Appeals has reversed the murder conviction against Letecia Stauch, who was found guilty in May 2023 for murdering her stepson, Gannon Stauch, back in January 2020
    • The case came into question when a juror, identified as M.B., had a son-in-law who worked as a deputy district attorney in the same office as District Attorney Michael Allen, who prosecuted the case.
    • During the trial, the court denied the defense’s challenge to remove juror M.B., and the court of appeals ruled that this was a structural error requiring retrial.
    • Judge Bernard, who concurred with his fellow judges on some of the case, also provided the only dissenting opinion that would have affirmed Stuach’s convictions.
  • Judge Bernard raised the larger issue surrounding peremptory challenges. A peremptory challenge is the legal right in jury selection allowing attorneys to exclude several potential jurors without stating a reason.
Gannon Stauch Case File
Letecia Lynn Hardin Stauch
Letecia Stauch, born on August 4, 1984, is a former teacher who gained national attention for the murder of her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch, in 2020. She married Albert Stauch in 2015, becoming stepmother to Gannon and his siblings. The couple also had one biological child together. On January 27, 2020, Letecia reported Gannon missing from their Colorado Springs home, initially claiming he had gone to a friend’s house and never returned. This led to extensive search efforts by law enforcement and the community. However, inconsistencies in her statements and evidence gathered during the investigation led authorities to suspect her involvement. On March 2, 2020, Letecia Stauch was arrested in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on charges of first-degree murder of a child by a person in a position of trust, child abuse resulting in death, tampering with a deceased human body, and tampering with physical evidence. During her trial, Letecia pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming dissociative identity disorder stemming from childhood trauma. The jury rejected this defense, and on May 8, 2023, she was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 156 years
Letecia Lynn Hardin Stauch

Investigation Timeline

Gannon Stauch Case File
Investigation Timeline
People of the State of Colorado v. Letecia Stauch court records and investigation timeline.

People of the State of Colorado v. Letecia Stauch

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