According to the Sheriff, they were called to the house for a report of a runaway. Usually, it is a patrol officer who responds to take an initial report. Different agencies may refer to these initial reports as “incident reports” or something similar. They are forms, sometimes on paper, sometimes computerized, which require you to fill in all the preliminary information - date, dispatch time, time of incident, TYPE OF INCIDENT, address, person reporting, witnesses, phone number etc. Then there is a block to fill in the specifics of the incident/crime. This is a very important section. Police academies routinely teach courses in report writing. You are trained to answer the questions of who, what, when, where and why. You are trained to stick to the facts and to be concise.
It can be used in court if a case goes to trial. They are also public record.
In this case, the report probably read something like:
“On Monday, January 27, 2020 at approximately 6:55 pm I was dispatched to



Mandan Rd on report of a runaway child. Upon arrival I was met by SM, who advised me that her stepson Gannon Stauch had run away.”
We do not know for sure what SM told the officer next. He likely asked pertinent questions: When did he leave? How do you know he ran away? Why did he run away? Etc
This is the crux of this case.
After taking this preliminary report, the responding officer makes certain decisions. He may call for a supervisor, a detective, additional officers. At any rate, until a supplementary report is written, the case will be classified as a runaway.
Meanwhile, while we might be thinking LE is doing nothing, LE immediately begins to try and verify what they have been told. For the most part, at least initially, they will take what they have been told at face value. However, LEO have hinky meters, too. Do the facts fit? Is SM’s demeanor off? Are there witnesses? Is there CCTV?
What they do know is that they have an 11 year old child who is not at home. Why?