The Murder of Gannon Stauch: A Web of Lies Unraveled

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On January 27, 2020, Letecia Stauch dialed 911 to report her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch, missing. She told authorities he had left their Colorado Springs home to visit a friend and never returned. On the surface, it appeared to be a case of a missing child. But within days, investigators began unraveling a web of deception, cover-ups, and chilling details that pointed directly to Letecia herself.

What began as a simple welfare check would soon expose one of the most cold-blooded and calculated crimes in recent memory.

A Web of Contradictions

Letecia’s first lie was simple. She told Gannon’s father and the police that Gannon had gone to play at a friend’s house. But surveillance footage from a neighbor’s camera showed otherwise—at 10:16 a.m. on the day Gannon went missing, Letecia was seen leaving with Gannon in a red Nissan Frontier. Hours later, she returned alone.

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Despite claiming Gannon was sick and needed rest, Letecia spent the day not at a hospital, but running errands—stopping at a Petco and purchasing various cleaning supplies. More suspicious was her unusual behavior when she returned home: she backed the truck all the way into the driveway, something family members said she never did.

She would not report Gannon missing until 7 p.m., claiming he had missed his 6 p.m. curfew and wasn’t at any of the homes he supposedly visited.

A Crime Scene in Plain Sight

Police arrived at the home to search for the missing boy. Letecia guided them through the living room and Gannon’s bedroom—but conspicuously avoided the basement. The carpet in the living room was burnt, and Letecia explained that Gannon had knocked over a candle the night before. She casually mentioned covering up the burn marks, which seemed minor at first—until her story started to unravel.

Letecia made every effort to distract investigators, guiding them only to specific areas of the house, while downplaying others. Her calm demeanor and incessant talking, as if to fill in every possible detail before being asked, were red flags.

The Surveillance Clue

During forensic analysis of Letecia’s phone, authorities discovered a disturbing video recorded the day before Gannon was reported missing. In the footage, Gannon—visibly anxious—is being scolded by Letecia for knocking over the candle. His arms appeared to be burned, and he promised it wasn’t done on purpose. Instead of tending to his injuries, Letecia blamed him and spoke about having to sell the sofa to fix the damage.

This footage painted a drastically different picture from the one she gave Gannon’s father, Albert Stauch. Initially, she downplayed the burns, claiming she treated them with aloe and didn’t think medical attention was necessary. But later, in a police interview, she changed her story entirely—now describing blistering, blood, and peeling skin. She admitted she panicked and feared Albert would be furious with her for letting Gannon get hurt.

The contradiction was glaring. What began as a small burn had turned into severe injuries—ones Gannon would never receive proper care for.

The Lies Deepen

Letecia Stauch Has Some Wild Stories! - YouTube

Inconsistencies continued to pile up. Letecia first claimed Gannon went to a friend’s house. When that story fell apart, she introduced a far more unbelievable tale—an unknown man had broken into the house, attacked her and Gannon, and kidnapped the boy.

Letecia described the man as armed and violent, claiming he assaulted her, knocked her unconscious, and forced her to provide a suitcase to hide Gannon’s body. But even her own version of events shifted with each telling.

At one point, she said she saw the man with gloves and a gun in the storage closet. Later, she claimed he was already in the house when she returned. Despite the gravity of the situation she described, Letecia never reported a break-in or assault until well after the missing person’s investigation had started.

And crucially—there was no evidence of a break-in.

Forensics Tell the Real Story

The real evidence was found where Letecia had tried to steer investigators away from—the basement. There, blood was discovered that matched Gannon’s DNA. It was not just a trace amount; blood soaked into the carpet, walls, and even seeped into the subfloor. More forensic evidence was found in the back of the red Nissan Frontier she had driven that day.

Investigators also found evidence that Letecia had been searching disturbing phrases online in the days leading up to Gannon’s disappearance. Search terms included:

“Find real military singles”
“I hate my stepson”
“Blood spurting from arterial bleeding”
“Can you wash blood off a body?”

Each discovery chipped away at the facade Letecia tried desperately to maintain.

The Final Piece

On March 17, 2020—nearly two months after Gannon’s disappearance—construction workers in Florida found a suitcase off the side of a bridge. Inside was Gannon’s decomposed body. He had been stabbed, shot, and severely beaten.

DNA and forensic evidence tied Letecia directly to the crime. She was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, and tampering with a deceased human body.

During her trial, Letecia attempted an insanity defense, claiming dissociative identity disorder and childhood trauma. But the jury did not believe her. In May 2023, she was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Justice for Gannon

Letecia Stauch’s lies were elaborate, persistent, and deeply disturbing. But despite her efforts to manipulate the narrative and deceive investigators, the truth emerged.

Gannon Stauch was a bright, kind-hearted 11-year-old who deserved love and safety. Instead, he was betrayed and murdered by the very person entrusted to care for him.

This case serves as a haunting reminder that evil can hide in plain sight—and sometimes, it wears the face of a trusted caregiver.

Justice may have come too late for Gannon, but the tireless work of investigators, prosecutors, and his grieving family ensured that the woman who stole his life will never be free again.