CO - Gannon Stauch, 11, found deceased, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, 27 Jan 2020 *Arrest* #62

[arielilane]

Noon recess until 1:30 pm MT.

 

[kittythehare]

She could be stronger.. a lot stronger..psych person, I mean..for prosecution.

 

[iamshadow21]

Witness was mental health director in the El Paso County Jail in March 2020.

Breaking down the differences between clinical and forensic assessment. Basically, they have to be very cautious in forensic settings because the possibility or deception and fabrication by the person.

Talking about questions in testing designed to trip up people who are being deceptive. There are also specific tests designed for subjects who are thought to be being deceptive.

Talking through the assessment process for people coming into the jail. Ensuring the safety of not just the subject but other people in the jail.

She took on LS's assessment personally because it was a high profile case and she was the most experienced/highest qualified of the team.

LS's demeanour was calm, polite. They had a lucid, fluid conversation. LS was not happy about being placed on suicide watch as a precaution. She reported a history of Generalised Anxiety Disorder, this seemed consistent with the witness's impression of her presentation. The psychiatrist prescribed her hydroxyzine.

Patient did not report any other mental illnesses. Did not show signs of any other mental illnesses in things like speech, affect, body presentation, etc. No signs of psychosis. LS was asked about and did not report any former psychiatric treatment, inpatient or outpatient.

Took notes in a notepad and documented them in their computer system after. That patient history is accessible by other people to maintain continuity of knowledge and care.

Says that she recorded that LS reported being diagnosed with GAD at 16. She had been prescribed hydroxyzine and Lorazepam. Did not tell witness who dxed her.

Lunch break! Back at 1:30.

 

[Seattle1]

Court recess until 1:30 pm MST

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/melissahenryTV


DAY 14 Letecia Stauch trial A cell phone data analyst is on the witness stand. Yesterday, prosecutors said they have a few witnesses left. We have yet to hear from the mental health experts expected to testify.

Cell phone records back up that Harley Hunt, Letecia Stauch’s daughter, was not at the family home around the time it’s suspected that Gannon was killed. Hunt’s phone pinged to towers near her work at that time, according to expert testimony.

NOW Dr. Christine Mohr, a clinical psychologist, is taking the witness stand.
This is the first career mental health professional to testify in the Stauch trial.

Dr. Mohr says she did a mental health assessment on March 5th, 2020 on Stauch as she was being processed into the El Paso County jail. Mohr says Stauch seemed calm and polite at the time. Mohr also says Stauch showed no “overt” signs of severe mental illness.

 

[10ofRods]

She could be stronger.. a lot stronger..psych person, I mean..for prosecution.

She is definitely trying to be circumspect and still give the facts. Dr Mohr saw no signs of mental illness much less psychosis in Letecia Stauch when she was booked into the same jail where she still resides.

I suppose next they'll get someone from the team who evaluated her fitness to stand trial.

Dr Mohr said that other people (such as Dr Lewis) would have access to her notes. I think they're laying a foundation for cross-examination of Dr Lewis. IMO.

Anyone know if Dr Lewis is actually coming in person?

 

[Marie Bell]

She is definitely trying to be circumspect and still give the facts. Dr Mohr saw no signs of mental illness much less psychosis in Letecia Stauch when she was booked into the same jail where she still resides.

I suppose next they'll get someone from the team who evaluated her fitness to stand trial.

Dr Mohr said that other people (such as Dr Lewis) would have access to her notes. I think they're laying a foundation for cross-examination of Dr Lewis. IMO.

Anyone know if Dr Lewis is actually coming in person?

Counsel mentioned that she would shortly be talking about all of the further meetings she had with LS. So we'll see what comes out. As you say, she's just being careful to stick to the facts.

 

[heartandsoul]

I’m enjoying watching Letecia squirm. There were times during that very early testimony where she looked like she’d rather the ground just swallow her up. Couldn’t happen to a nicer person …

Edited - typo

 

[iamshadow21]

She is definitely trying to be circumspect and still give the facts. Dr Mohr saw no signs of mental illness much less psychosis in Letecia Stauch when she was booked into the same jail where she still resides.

I suppose next they'll get someone from the team who evaluated her fitness to stand trial.

Dr Mohr said that other people (such as Dr Lewis) would have access to her notes. I think they're laying a foundation for cross-examination of Dr Lewis. IMO.

Anyone know if Dr Lewis is actually coming in person?

I think they said something about it the other day, maybe saying she would be on Friday? But I have no idea if they meant she would physically be there in person.

MOO

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1650923777725988865

https://twitter.com/AshleyPorteeyo

 

[10ofRods]

An article written in 2020 has Dr Lewis as 83 years old (she has scrubbed wikipedia and IMDB of any evidence of her age and there's press that mentions that her age isn't precisely known). That makes her about 85 years old now, which is consistent with her graduating medical school in 1963 and her statements about being a child in NYC during WW2.

Here's an article trying to be neutral about her work:

A fascination with violence

Dorothy Lewis has spent her career trying to understand murderers. Her ideas, once considered outrageous, now influence Supreme Court decisions.

medicine.yale.edu

 

[Tealgrove]

So 3 stops at Hotels and they never accessed the back of the van for clothing?
Weird

Not that I want to defend “the beast” however, I do several long haul trips from Canada to Alabama each year.

I pack up the van. All the stuff I don’t need gets put in the back.

I have an overnight bag that is in the front. PJ’s, change of clothes, toiletries etc. I never go to the back while on the road.

I can understand not opening up the back if that’s what they did.

 

[Cindizzi]

I think they said something about it the other day, maybe saying she would be on Friday? But I have no idea if they meant she would physically be there in person.

MOO

When breaking for lunch yesterday Monday April 24, Tolini did say they were thinking of bringing Dr Lewis in on Friday, but might fly her in over the weekend and have her testify on Monday.

@10ofRods

Around 2:15:00

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[iamshadow21]

An article written in 2020 has Dr Lewis as 83 years old (she has scrubbed wikipedia and IMDB of any evidence of her age and there's press that mentions that her age isn't precisely known). That makes her about 85 years old now, which is consistent with her graduating medical school in 1963 and her statements about being a child in NYC during WW2.

Here's an article trying to be neutral about her work:

A fascination with violence

Dorothy Lewis has spent her career trying to understand murderers. Her ideas, once considered outrageous, now influence Supreme Court decisions.

medicine.yale.edu

The one thing I read in that paper that she wrote that was linked to yesterday that I definitely agree with and have discussed before with other folks - other systems - is that if you want to find more male-bodied systems, undiagnosed, you should be looking in prisons. Because of the way the genders are socialised, women tend to be more likely to end up in the psychiatric system and men in the prison system, even if they have the exact same condition. There's a big gender imbalance in diagnosis, far far fewer male-bodied systems are diagnosed. I don't think it's because male systems are rare or exceptional, I think (and it's a gross generalisation here) that men tend to act out against others, whereas women are more inclined to selfharm.

But that's about the limit of it. I don't think people with DID are more inclined to be serial killers or violent offenders of any kind than regular non-dissociative folks. But we know that a lot of people in prison, especially men, have a higher than average (compared to non-incarcerated people) history of adverse childhood experiences. So, I would expect to see an amount of undiagnosed systems in prison, higher than in the average non-incarcerated population, but proportional in line with the numbers of people in prison with history of adverse childhood experiences.

Does that make sense?

Very much my opinion and speculation only.

 

[Marie Bell]

An article written in 2020 has Dr Lewis as 83 years old (she has scrubbed wikipedia and IMDB of any evidence of her age and there's press that mentions that her age isn't precisely known). That makes her about 85 years old now, which is consistent with her graduating medical school in 1963 and her statements about being a child in NYC during WW2.

Here's an article trying to be neutral about her work:

A fascination with violence

Dorothy Lewis has spent her career trying to understand murderers. Her ideas, once considered outrageous, now influence Supreme Court decisions.

medicine.yale.edu

Here's one that's a bit more forthcoming about her limitations.

The Disappointing False Dichotomies Behind 'Crazy, Not Insane'

HBO touts Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis' expertise about criminal behavior. But she seems to be leading lay viewers down her own convenient and oversimplified theories about DID.

www.psychologytoday.com

 

[Seattle1]

FYI -- trial days 5, 8, and 10 are carpet testimony.

Reviewing images from day 5 exhibits and it appears LS cut out and removed an approx 2 x 2 piece of carpet from the basement lounge area. This carpet square and spent candle were located inside the rubbish bins located outdoors.

One area of the carpet square pulled from the rubbish was stained with melted candle wax and an adjacent area appears to be a small hole where the carpet fibers were burned down to the padding. IMO, these look like two different events. I'm wondering if after the candle wax was spilled, LS hoped to embellish the wax spill (for the camera) by igniting a piece of carpet that she could record. I don't think this exercise worked as LS hoped and the only thing produced from her efforts was smoke. Enough smoke that required the opening of windows but no detectable fire/smoke damage hours later when police walked through the home.

The candle and holder, interestingly, had a piece of fabric inside -- possibly a foot sock. MOO

ETA: confirming my suspicion

From Carpet - FAQ

Are carpets flammable? Carpets are rarely the initial ignition source for fires. Performance standards require that carpets self-extinguish and most carpet textures are not particularly susceptible to fire. See chart at the link.

 

[MsMarple]

Question: is it typical for someone to be diagnosed with GAD at age 16 and then prescribed medication for about 20 years without ever receiving therapy for the condition?

 

[iamshadow21]

Question: is it typical for someone to be diagnosed with GAD at age 16 and then prescribed medication for about 20 years without ever receiving therapy for the condition?

I had had therapy previously for trauma, but at sixteen, I reported depression to my GP and he brightly told me it was a chemical imbalance and gave me a prescription for my first proper antidepressant med, Zoloft, without any second opinion, referral, or further testing. I think LS is a couple of years younger than me. For a while, there was this 'it's all chemicals, take a pill' attitude, and GPs weren't necessarily referring people for diagnosis or recommending talking therapy as a first line of treatment for basic anxiety or depression. At least, that's my personal experience. Other people's experiences may vary. I am in a completely different country, I don't know if the US was different in the late 90's/early '00s.

MOO

 

[Marie Bell]

Question: is it typical for someone to be diagnosed with GAD at age 16 and then prescribed medication for about 20 years without ever receiving therapy for the condition?

Didn't the witness say that LS hadn't disclosed the name of the doctor who had allegedly diagnosed it?

 

[heartandsoul]

Question: is it typical for someone to be diagnosed with GAD at age 16 and then prescribed medication for about 20 years without ever receiving therapy for the condition?

Personally, I was diagnosed with anxiety in my early 20s and have been on prescribed medication for 10 years with no therapy yet. Don’t get me wrong, I should definitely have therapy, but my doctors have never arranged it or pushed for it.

I’m in the U.K. though.