Found Deceased CO - Gannon Stauch, 11, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, 27 Jan 2020 **ARREST** #43

[MassGuy]

Yes, Yes, I posed the question as I was thinking of the charges, and the possible use of a rifle/firearm, knife, or blunt object, mainly, the idea that LE may very well have, I might even venture to say, likely have, evidence unbeknownst to us.

True. For instance, up until the autopsy was performed, it’s entirely possible that law enforcement didn’t know he had been shot.

So if they seized a gun early on, that wouldn’t have been mentioned in the affidavit.

 

[windrower]

The jury isn't going to be reading offbeat theories on Websleuths. The defense attorneys have to choose a particular path for their client, they cannot tell the jury that Gannon ran away, that LS was raped and the rapist kidnapped Gannon, that there were 2 rapists, one of which lay down in the street, etc In fact, they cannot give evidence that someone else did this crime unless the judge says they can. I believe CO makes it so that the defendant must, at the preliminary hearing, introduce any facts to persuade the judge that they've got the wrong person.

That's not going to happen. This case will not be tried on Websleuths. And we on Websleuths are not permitted to discuss all of the (major) evidence in this case. The only problem is that there's so much evidence.

But I'm curious. Since a defense team cannot just throw spaghetti at the prosecution and hope it sticks - what defense do you think would convince even one juror? Truly curious.

Not a single theory posted here has convinced me (or most people) of "reasonable doubt." The definition of "reasonable" is not up to us, either. Judges give instructions regarding what it means. Then, juries come to group terms with what it means.

So while you may have found reasonable doubt somewhere in this case (prior to ever hearing the evidence, simply going on WS take on the evidence), a jury will be very very different.

First of all, they will all be from that county, where the crime occurred. They will be told to use a "reasonable person standard" based on what people in that area consider reasonable.

Is there any doubt that Gannon is dead? No. Is there any doubt that he was murdered? No. Is there any doubt that Letecia H. Stauch organized a caravan and drove to Florida? No. Is there any doubt that his body was found in a suitcase in Florida? No. Is there any doubt the suitcase came from the Stauch home? No. Is there any doubt that there was Gannon's blood on Letecia H. Stauch's trainer? No. Is there any doubt that there was blood in her Tiguan? No. Is there any doubt that she twice went to the place where a bloody particle board, used to transport Gannon's body and containing his blood, was found? No.

What else do you think a jury would need? What reasonable person would doubt that LS did this? Even without coming up with an alternate theory of who else could have done this, could a reasonable person doubt it was Letecia H. Stauch?

No.

And that's without the many phone calls, lies, texts, procurement of cleaning supplies, attempts to clean Gannon's room, fake polygraph test and much else.

She's dead to rights.

Nope, it still doesn’t work. HH has an alibi, and TS and Gannon were alone.

There is no way to insert someone else, while at the same time, removing TS from the equation.

Throwing out some IMO conjecture.

10ofRods, that list could also be true if another person living in the house harmed Gannon, and LS went into her frantic cleanup and coverup mode, just not for herself.

MassGuy, it does work if Gannon was gravely wounded on Sunday evening, and never returned to the house with LS on Monday afternoon. (I’ve even wondered if the photo of “Gannon asleep on the bed” was “ Gannon dead on the bed.” But I’m assuming that AA 31 is true, and Gannon left with LS. As I’ve said before, I cannot tell much of anything from the video. AA 32 states the detective cannot be sure another person exited the vehicle when LS returned to the house—so maybe Gannon did not come back from the outing. AA 44 does say that after LS returns to the house on Monday afternoon, there is motion activity both upstairs and downstairs during a 25 minute period, but it does not say the motion was simultaneous. So I question whether Gannon came back.)

If Gannon returned to the house, then the case is a slam dunk.

And probably is no matter what, as I think after they left the house, if Gannon did not die from whatever happened Sunday night, he was either given an overdose of something by LS, or LS took him somewhere and shot and/or stabbed him. Left him hidden until she felt she had to move him.

Blood on the Tiguan may have been from loading bloody bedding, etc., into the car on that Monday. From the AA, I think the blood samples from stains at the house were taken on Tuesday and Wednesday. LS was interviewed on Wednesday AA 67, and the Tiguan seized at that time, AA 68.

IMO at this time. Because LS is making me crazy, too.

 

[Rosiebones]

How could he have been shot at the house without neighbors hearing, those houses are on top of each other? Also, without a hole in the mattress or a pillow or the wall. I'm not saying she didn't use a gun but I am having a hard time thinking she did it in the house.

 

[catch_22]

Just wait until the preliminary hearing. Patrick Frazee’s was done in a day, and May’s team presented overwhelming evidence.

This one is going to take place over two days. Any lingering doubts will fade away.

Sorry, I'm not too familiar with judicial proceedings. Do you know if this newly scheduled hearing (early may, I think) is just the 4/14 hearing rescheduled? Or is it instead the big official preliminary hearing?

I didn't think that the original 4/14 hearing was the official preliminary hearing. I wasn't expecting the prelim. for many months down the road.

Do I understand this correctly? Or am I confused? TIA

 

[10ofRods]

Why the backyard? Stashing plastic bags with clean up items and bedding?
The route up tthe stairs to the garage was private, while the back door is overlooked by neighbor windows.
She isn't just a dull or slow thinker, she has super fast energized bad thinking.

I think there are tons of psychological variables in this story - and your post gets at that.

Most people don't like messes in their houses, and in this case, it's a bloody awful mess. Time after time, murderers work themselves into whatever frenzy or state they're in, and then, once that's over, they are more or less "back to reality" and facing the very real consequence of their nightmarish behavior.

She didn't want all that mess in the garage, she knew it would leave more evidence (plus there must have been several garbage bags: blanket, bedspread, sheets, pillow, her own clothing, etc) She knew not to try to launder all of it in a short time. She figures the neighbors won't pay much or any attention (some aren't home from work yet) and they'll just think she's cleaning house. At first.

Her original goal is just to buy herself time. None of it works out well for her. At some point, all of that stuff had to go somewhere else (like into a dumpster at one of the shopping centers where she stopped). Once it's all bagged and stacked up, she then has to figure out what to do with it (probably taking it back through the house to one of the cars - perhaps HH's, we don't know).

At any rate, she bought herself a couple of days. Once AS was home, the jig was up and she knew it. But she still needed to try and get away with it, hence all of her demented frantic activity. Yep, her "panic brain" was in its own unique working order.

She got away with it for 35 days. I think LE knew Gannon was dead by the 29th and strongly suspected on the 28th. They were busy getting warrants in the 28th. I wonder if part of LE's strategy, in denying that there was foul play or making LS a formal suspect was to keep AS in doubt, trying to make him wait until the story was better understood (or else AS may very well have tried to or succeeded in harming Letecia, who knew her only chance was to hightail it out of town).

 

[Boxer]

How could he have been shot at the house without neighbors hearing, those houses are on top of each other? Also, without a hole in the mattress or a pillow or the wall. I'm not saying she didn't use a gun but I am having a hard time thinking she did it in the house.

MOO shot inside a closed house the potential hearer also in a double paned closed house.
Hearer would have to have no media on, be at home and probably be on the Stauch side of their house. MOO most likely everyone was at work or at school.
MOO I think don't think she shot him for the initial assault. I think she hit him with something heavy like a bat. Maybe she followed up with a shot. Hope the autopsy will confirm what killed him.

 

[nyvictoria]

The affidavit said both LE and AS were looking for the Tiguan though.

ETA Item 59 on page 8

Can you think of a reason why they didn’t check the airport lots? That was the only one I could come up with if the car was, in fact, left there.

 

[Inthedetails]

MOO shot inside a closed house the potential hearer also in a double paned closed house.
Hearer would have to have no media on, be at home and probably be on the Stauch side of their house. MOO most likely everyone was at work or at school.

I don't think she shot him at home. Wouldn't there be more than 50 drops of blood spatter around the room if he were shot?

My worst fear is that Gannon wasn't deceased when she brought him to the dump location so she shot him. I do not think that happened....but sometimes I do wonder.

I also wonder if she shot him after death, at the dump location, to somehow make it look like someone else did it? Perhaps she thought a gunshot would look more like a stranger abduction?

Or maybe a gunshot at the dump location covered up the abuse she committed against him?

IDK, just some (awful) possibilities.

jmo

 

[MassGuy]

Sorry, I'm not too familiar with judicial proceedings. Do you know if this newly scheduled hearing (early may, I think) is just the 4/14 hearing rescheduled? Or is it instead the big official preliminary hearing?

I didn't think that the original 4/14 hearing was the official preliminary hearing. I wasn't expecting the prelim. for many months down the road.

Do I understand this correctly? Or am I confused? TIA

That 4/14 hearing should have been the hearing where the preliminary hearing would be scheduled. For whatever reason, it’s already been scheduled.

This is the biggest event before trial, as we will learn a great deal about the prosecution’s case.

It’s basically a mini trial, where the prosecution will demonstrate to a judge they have enough evidence to move forward.

 

[NervousNellie]

Maybe she likes that they are gone all the time.

I keep seeing this topic come up. Not all military personnel are "gone all the time." Some, even many, are gone a lot. But it is not always the case. (Personal experience - I was in the Army while married to someone in the Air Force.)

I think LS was into military guys because of a prestige she believed is bestowed on the military (and in particular, officers) and their families. She likes being a hero. JMO. MOO.

 

[nyvictoria]

@10ofRods ... during the cousin IT interview, TS accentuated on HH being a chi-uld while at the same time professing that she is in the military defending our country.

Could a reasonable doubt be raised if the finger is pointed at HH as the actual killer, and TS was covering it up??

There is not enough evidence to convict HH, but maybe enough to raise a doubt which is all TS needs to walk out of that jail.

So, I beg of anyone to please put these fears of mine to rest!

This is why it would behoove HH to speak to LE, if she hasn’t already. I’m sure LE already has her travels mapped out and they know where she was at pertinent junctures but if she doesn’t want suspicion thrown her way she needs to get herself a lawyer and talk. I have no doubt LS would sacrifice her daughter to save herself. IANAL but I also think there would have to be a reasonable suspicion and theory on the part of the defense to point to her. Not that it’s difficult to create one. Baez did it for Casey.

 

[Bbybluz]

This is what the prosecution has to prove:

Murder in the First Degree (After Deliberation) The Elements of the Charge

The elements of the crime of murder in the first degree are:

That the defendant, in the State of Colorado, at or about the date and place charged, after deliberation, and with intent to cause the death of a person other than himself, caused the death of __________________.

TY kindly

 

[MassGuy]

I keep seeing this topic come up. Not all military personnel are "gone all the time." Some, even many, are gone a lot. But it is not always the case. (Personal experience - I was in the Army while married to someone in the Air Force.)

I think LS was into military guys because of a prestige she believed is bestowed on the military (and in particular, officers) and their families. She likes being a hero. JMO. MOO.

Yes. She was likely one of those wives who think they wear their husband’s rank.

They’re the worst.

 

[Bbybluz]

The jury isn't going to be reading offbeat theories on Websleuths. The defense attorneys have to choose a particular path for their client, they cannot tell the jury that Gannon ran away, that LS was raped and the rapist kidnapped Gannon, that there were 2 rapists, one of which lay down in the street, etc In fact, they cannot give evidence that someone else did this crime unless the judge says they can. I believe CO makes it so that the defendant must, at the preliminary hearing, introduce any facts to persuade the judge that they've got the wrong person.

That's not going to happen. This case will not be tried on Websleuths. And we on Websleuths are not permitted to discuss all of the (major) evidence in this case. The only problem is that there's so much evidence.

But I'm curious. Since a defense team cannot just throw spaghetti at the prosecution and hope it sticks - what defense do you think would convince even one juror? Truly curious.

Not a single theory posted here has convinced me (or most people) of "reasonable doubt." The definition of "reasonable" is not up to us, either. Judges give instructions regarding what it means. Then, juries come to group terms with what it means.

So while you may have found reasonable doubt somewhere in this case (prior to ever hearing the evidence, simply going on WS take on the evidence), a jury will be very very different.

First of all, they will all be from that county, where the crime occurred. They will be told to use a "reasonable person standard" based on what people in that area consider reasonable.

Is there any doubt that Gannon is dead? No. Is there any doubt that he was murdered? No. Is there any doubt that Letecia H. Stauch organized a caravan and drove to Florida? No. Is there any doubt that his body was found in a suitcase in Florida? No. Is there any doubt the suitcase came from the Stauch home? No. Is there any doubt that there was Gannon's blood on Letecia H. Stauch's trainer? No. Is there any doubt that there was blood in her Tiguan? No. Is there any doubt that she twice went to the place where a bloody particle board, used to transport Gannon's body and containing his blood, was found? No.

What else do you think a jury would need? What reasonable person would doubt that LS did this? Even without coming up with an alternate theory of who else could have done this, could a reasonable person doubt it was Letecia H. Stauch?

No.

And that's without the many phone calls, lies, texts, procurement of cleaning supplies, attempts to clean Gannon's room, fake polygraph test and much else.

She's dead to rights.

WOW TY for explaining this like you did! So much planning, organizing and weeding out the major/minor/bs in order to come to a case plan.

 

[pcrum12]

SO preliminary is already scheduled for early May?

 

[MemPat]

This case is a good example why LE likes to keep things quiet until they are ready to make an arrest.

One reason is to help ensure that the suspect does not have time to take counter-measures and begin planning lies and fake aliases to counteract specific charges that will come down.

LS was all over the place with her lies as she was guessing what LE was finding out. Had she known specifics beforehand, her lies and planning would have been more focused.
To a smarter perp, they could actually come up with some decent fake aliases and fake excuses if the perp learns what LE knows.

The perp always knows what they already did, but they dont always know what LE has found out. That difference can affect which counter measures they may take to try to avoid arrest.

Perfectly stated, Hatfield!

 

[MassGuy]

SO preliminary is already scheduled for early May?

Friday June 5, and Monday June 8.

 

[pcrum12]

Friday June 5, and Monday June 8.

Wow - that was quick

 

[MassGuy]

Wow - that was quick

Normally it’s about a month after the arrest. Because of this Corona Beer Virus, I figured it wouldn’t happen until September.

June is very quick, all things considered.

 

[MemPat]

Yes, and I think it will be powerful to explain they they looked and looked for an Eguardo who worked on a Sunday night at a nearby construction site and couldn't find one.

The jury will get the message, loud and clear (might even be a moment of comic relief).

jmo

It's a moment of comic relief for me every time someone here mentions Eguardo.
My auto-correct doesn't even believe in him and changes him to Eduardo every time I type the name!