Found Deceased CO - Gannon Stauch, 11, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, 27 Jan 2020 **ARREST** #33

[Angels27]

The defence does not have to prove anything. Wouldn't it be loverly though if they put their client on the stand and the prosecution got to ask her questions? I think hell may freeze over before that happens.

don’t be so sure. Remember chatter mouth arias. And this one loves to talk.

 

[GRT]

I believe she left CS by Feb 3-4, that LE knew that, that LE had to take steps to monitor her situation in SC, etc.

Just the fact that she left the Springs when there was an active search going on for her stepson was suspicious.

 

[Angels27]

I think they have a murder 1 charge against her because of blood in the home. Dan May went into that home early on for a reason. They found enough evidence . Then they found a bloody board and a sock on the side of a road. No idea what or how she did it but LE and prosecutors sure know. My layman theory is she pushed him into something and chased him causing blood evidence. I think it was all over very quickly and the aftermath was what caused the premeditation and the next day disposal of GS. Just disturbs me that she could have sought help for GS but she was too important to do that. So I hope she rots in hell for that.

Was the board and sock found together? Were they found on side of road or in the woods? If she put them there why not drive off road and hide them. Is it possible they both blew out together? Would a heavy board blow out of a truck bed?

 

[ChuckMaureen]

sbbm

Can u guys tell what G was wearing in that video where he’s walking to the truck? Does it look like what “she says” he was wearing when he went missing?

/// snipped ///

Gannon appeared to be wearing 'track pants': dark color (blue or black) with dual-white stripes running the length of the the pant legs.

The missing poster presents that Gannon was wearing jeans when he was last seen, and the person who is reported to have had "last seen" Gannon was LS, by her own claim.

 

[BeckyF]

What run-in with LE at Marshall’s? Sorry, when was this?

It was discussed many threads ago.

 

[Angels27]

I speculated that Gannon may have been in the back of the truck when she got home at 2:19 as she was so adamant in her back of head interview.
Therefore narrowing the timeline down of how far she had to put him.
My thought process was that she didn't initially plan to kill him but that he had succumb to injuries she had inflicted, ergo he had died while they were out doing errands and she didn't know what to do with his body.

“Back of head interview”. Lolllolo.ololololololol. Love it!

 

[Angels27]

She claims to have a Monday selfie with Gannon and it appears that she then exited the truck and left the phone. It doesn’t seem panicked.

you mean she claims she brought the phone into truck took selfie, but then brought it back into house and left without it?

 

[GRT]

I appreciate what you are saying, however, I would think legally premeditated would have to mean she actively planned it, sought out the opportunity to murder him and have had significant plans put in place. I just don't see this as being premeditated to that extent.

Of course not seeking him medical attention was a choice that she made, but I still don't think that would be classified as premeditated.

NOLO states:

"Premeditation

Someone premeditates a crime by considering it before committing it. Premeditation requires that the defendant think out the act, no matter how quickly—it can be as simple deciding to pick up a hammer that is lying nearby and to use it as a weapon."

If that is the legal definition they go by, then that's why they arrested her for Murder 1 and not manslaughter or Murder 2.

She likely didn't premeditate the abuse on Sunday (if that's when it occurred), but after she injured him so badly, she planned and plotted his demise throughout the night and into the next day. She's so full of herself, she actually thought (IMO) that she could fool all the investigators and fudge the forensic evidence. It had to have taken her awhile to come up with a plan that included searches on GS' phone about how to keep his parents from finding him and then forgetting to take her own phone with her.

So, she's not stupid, but she's not brilliant either. She's just self-centered, a narcissist, and she has no empathy. Eventually, a professional will likely diagnose her, perhaps as a psychopath or a sociopath, both of which indicate someone who has no empathy.

Mental illness may certainly play a role in her behavior, but I don't think it should play a role in her defense.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

MOO

Another possibility is LS, by attacking the deputy(ies) en route from South Carolina, was attempting to delay the murder trial. Or, maybe it was just LS lashing out without any specific intent other than to satisfy an anger.

MOO

No charges have been filed at this time regarding her attack on the deputy, but charges might be filed later.

 

[GordianKnot]

I brought up premeditation because originally I said that it seems "premeditation" has over ridden the fact that she has been charged in the 1st because of his age, and digressing from thinking it was premeditated in the true sense could narrow down the thinking on where he could be located.
Essentially looking at her actions as reactive instead of proactive.

BBM:

I would argue that in this particular case, it wasn't an either/or situation.

Her actions were both.

Her initial assault was reactive.

Then, once she realized how badly she'd injured him and what the likely ramifications would be, she made a pivot, and began to calculate how she could remove the evidence of her crime, the most incriminating piece of evidence being GS himself.

At that point, her actions were no longer reactive.

The murder itself was planned.

When she drove off in the truck with him that morning, she knew only one of them would be coming back.

JMO.

 

[GRT]

The defence does not have to prove anything. Wouldn't it be loverly though if they put their client on the stand and the prosecution got to ask her questions? I think hell may freeze over before that happens.

I think they will try to keep her from taking the stand, but in the long run, doesn't the defendant get to make that call? I could see TS insisting on taking the stand in her own defense. Or, alternately, I could see her firing the defense attorney and representing herself in court. In my opinion, she has an over-inflated view of herself and her intellect, and if the case isn't going her way (I don't think it will), she's going to try to get her attorney(s) to let her take the stand.

 

[Rosiebones]

Seems like it could on a highway at 60 or 70 miles

Was the board and sock found together? Were they found on side of road or in the woods? If she put them there why not drive off road and hide them. Is it possible they both blew out together? Would a heavy board blow out of a truck bed?

an hour and it would most likely land in the car following or on the highway. Not likely to be in the woods along side the road.
This was a side road and it is hard to see how there would have been enough speed to lift a 2x4 out of a truck bed and blow it into the woods.
Plus, how would a small sock blow into the same area, seems it would have been blown out well before a heavier board, anyway that is MOO MOO MOO

 

[ChuckMaureen]

MOO

Searchers sifting snow... that image still sticks with me. There's no telling exactly what LE was searching for but we might assume it was for small items. The first item that came to mind: teeth.

Other items: ring or earring. LE might have been searching for evidence that would be used at trial to provide evidence that LS was at the scene of evidence discovery, maybe she lost a ring or other small jewelry (earring) during her out-and-about disposal spree.

I expect LE located the "2 x 4" and/or "sock" near areas where sifting was employed.

MOO

 

[GRT]

Was the board and sock found together? Were they found on side of road or in the woods? If she put them there why not drive off road and hide them. Is it possible they both blew out together? Would a heavy board blow out of a truck bed?

A board could bounce out - or even blow out if the tailgate was down.

Trigger Warning -- Scenario Discussion Follows

My theory however -- just my opinion -- is that she used the board to finish him off. I think she probably had the sock on her hand to keep her DNA from getting on the board, and when they reached her planned destination, she beat him repeatedly. I think that's why the board was bloody -- just striking someone once would not have bloodied it -- she had to have repeatedly beat that poor child in the head in order to kill him. And, you could generate a terrific amount of force with a 2X4 that's 3-feet long or so. She probably had socks on both hands actually, but during the force of the attack, she likely injured her own hand, which resulted in the band-aid some pointed out on a close-up of her hand during her back-head interview.

After killing him (he might not have even been completely dead, but she knew he wouldn't recover) -- she likely disposed of him by pushing him into a ravine or something. Then, she took the sock(s) and board with her (she didn't want them found with him because her DNA was on them). She tossed them out of the truck, probably along what she felt was a fairly deserted stretch of road. Of course, LE found them early on, but she wasn't thinking well at that point -- who would be?

I'm betting that now she wishes she would have just taken GS to the hospital and just accepted the abuse charges that she would have faced, but hindsight is always 20-20, isn't it? She jumped out of the kettle only to land squarely in the fire.

 

[ChuckMaureen]

MOO

I believe the following occurred:

IMO, LS and Gannon (still alive) returned in the truck to Mandan Drive at ~2:19 PM. LS reported Gannon as missing by 6:55 PM. that Monday evening. That would leave ~4.5 hours that afternoon for LS to murder and hide Gannon.

It is possible LS murdered Gannon, placed his body inside a bag or suitcase then placed that inside the trunk of her vehicle that Monday afternoon.

LE was focused on locating a "runaway" at that point.

LE searched the house, the broader neighborhood, etc.

I have a feeling LE did not check vehicle trunks.

Tuesday morning, LS drove to the airport with Gannon in the trunk, rented a vehicle at the airport, transferred Gannon (in the bag or suitcase, which wouldn't appear suspicious) from her vehicle to the rental vehicle and proceeded to disappear Gannon miles away.

I believe that is exactly what occurred.

MOO

 

[Rosiebones]

Just the fact that she left the Springs when there was an active search going on for her stepson was suspicious.

On the other hand, playing devil's advocate, she had no income or support from AS and prolonged stay at a hotel or motel would not have been possible and we don't know that she didn't tell LE that she was going back home. They certainly knew where to find her when they arrested her.
And, I 1000% agree with your last paragraph.

 

[Niner]

There was some discussion regarding when LE came to the house and was shining flashlights in the backyard. I’ve been following from day one and my recollection was they did not do this until Tuesday night. But I’m not 100% positive. I think this was when they were onto her and knew something was up so they started looking closely at the home. Can anyone clarify? Was it Monday night or Tuesday night they were searching around the backyard with flashlights?

Don't know IF this was answered - but I have in my note:

A little after 10 p.m. on Tuesday, 1/28/20 the El Paso County Sheriff's Office showed up at Gannon's home. Law enforcement walked up to the home & appeared to be searching in the backyard with flashlights. The garage door was opened and a car was pulled out.

and here is the time stamps for the neighbor's video:

On Monday, 2/3/20, Roderrick Drayton, a neighbor of Stauch’s, shared surveillance video from his home that captured footage of what he says shows Gannon & his stepmother, Leticia Stauch, getting into a red truck in the driveway of their Colorado Springs home on Monday, Jan. 27 @ 10:13am – the day the boy went missing. The video later, Drayton said, shows the truck returning hours later (@ 2:19pm) but with only the stepmother appearing to get out.


and whew.... all caught up for today....

 

[Kiranerys]

And this is (part of) why I don’t believe the 900 miles... she would not have filled up with gas.

Why not?, if she is a shady as her history would suggest then I am willing to bet she is the kind of person who keeps a stash of cold hard cash available,you never know when you might need it

 

[Happygolucky123]

MOO

(Snipped)

It is possible LS murdered Gannon, placed his body inside a bag or suitcase then placed that inside the trunk of her vehicle that Monday afternoon.
...
I have a feeling LE did not check vehicle trunks.
...
Tuesday morning, LS drove to the airport with Gannon in the trunk, rented a vehicle at the airport, transferred Gannon (in the bag or suitcase, which wouldn't appear suspicious) from her vehicle to the rental vehicle and proceeded to disappear Gannon miles away.

I believe that is exactly what occurred.

MOO

But Gannon was 90 lbs. Add in that most suitcases weigh about 10 lbs, and you now have LS moving a 100 lb suitcase around between cars.
Most airlines have a 50 lb weight limit... I struggle lifting a 50 lb bag out of my trunk, I’m not sure how she could have moved anything bigger without help.

MOO

 

[ChuckMaureen]

bbm

But Gannon was 90 lbs. Add in that most suitcases weigh about 10 lbs, and you now have LS moving a 100 lb suitcase around between cars.
Most airlines have a 50 lb weight limit... I struggle lifting a 50 lb bag out of my trunk, I’m not sure how she could have moved anything bigger without help.

MOO

I indicated a "bag or a suitcase". The bag could have been a military duffle bag, which will easily hold 100+ lbs. No need to use the strapping to carry it, just cradle the bag to lift and move. It is quite possible AS had one or more duffle bags in the house.

LS does not appear to be 'frail' in any sense of the word. In fact, she appears somewhat 'stocky'. I have no doubt LS could lift and place 90 lbs. Maybe not 'easily', but I believe she could do it.

Airline weight limits have no relevance in this case.