CO - Gannon Stauch, 11, found deceased, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, 27 Jan 2020 *Arrest* #58

[arielilane]

Re juror number 12. I've been thinking and I think the judge will dismiss her. After what Mr Tolini said, I think it's possible if they keep her the judge will be thinking they will use it to move for a mistrial or at least grounds for appeal, and he has been pretty thorough so far to ensure there are no grounds. I think he will err on the side of caution here.

Agreed. Juror 12 did the right thing by speaking up. I commend her. It would have been a mess if she hadn't spoke up. imo

 

[Warwick7]

Thinking about the question of if she takes the stand. I believe she will, IF miss Harley's testimony is too damaging towards her. The defense has been subtly suggesting Harley as a suspect, and this is their door to a defense. MOO

I have never thought Latecia would take the stand. But as this trial goes on I'm beginning to think she will. And as you say, if HH's testimony is too damaging towards her LS just might get up there. Even if its against her lawyers counsel.

 

[AngTxGal]

I agree with you, but I also see Letecia being furious that Harley is willing to testify against her, and 'T' will be ever so willing to try and discredit her. She is pissed. She doesn't want to face her, nor hear what she has to say. But, knowingly LS cannot take the truth and if given the opportunity, she might just go after Harley the only way she can. MOO

That would make sense if HH had a choice to testify, she does not.
Witnesses do not testify because they want to testify against someone, they must do so. It may be LS choice as to how her defense team handles HH, which makes any love between the two now in jeopardy. HH is a witness- that means she can’t be visiting her mom in jail, and likely no phone calls. The paranoia in LS own little mind is brewing into fury.

Problem is, LS can be pissed all she wants, and stay that way for the rest of her miserable life in a small concrete cage… in fact my guess is most of us look forward to that future for her.

I can’t wait to hear HH testify, and hear she is having therapy, then move on to live a long healthy happy and productive successful life away from her mom. HH’s best chance is if LS is locked away forever, and she chooses not to visit.

JMO

 

[heartandsoul]

I’m torn on why LS is behaving the way she is. If it’s frustration, it’ll only get worse as the trial goes on.

 

[arielilane]

I thought I'd understood what was going on with the burned carpet/candle incident. Yesterdays testimony about burned carpet with associated blood stain left me with more questions than answers.

Agreed. "More questions than answers." I am at the point where maybe I don’t need to know/understand the logistics of what exactly happened to Gannon. I know more than enough already. My heart hurts for Gannon's family. I already have so much hate for defendant and don’t want to go there anymore.

I feel that the jury will understand the details and is asking the right questions. Imo, Defendant will be convicted on all charges, and not due to insanity. Defendant clearly knows right from wrong!

Of course, this is a matter of my opinion and speculation.

 

[shotgun09]

I’m torn on why LS is behaving the way she is. If it’s frustration, it’ll only get worse as the trial goes on.

IMO, the behavior we have seen so far in court, is LS picking at her scalp, hiding in her hair fort, rubbing her mouth, chewing her fingernails, and most recently, the not so subtle hand gesturing. All, IMO are attempts to appear "insane". I do not believe the jury is buying this either.

 

[arielilane]

Additionally, the video of the attack on LE told me a lot. Poor Gannon. The abuse he experienced prior to the murder - I can't go there either. imo.

Here for Gannon <3

 

[Marie Bell]

the 'insanity' applies to the time of the offence afaik.
Not a permanent ailment.

So what do you think the point of taking the stand is? She isn't disputing that she did it. Do you expect her to a) be able to diagnose her own insanity at the time of the crime? and b) be corss examined on it? Doesn't make sense to me.

 

[shotgun09]

Some additional perceptions on why I think LS might take the stand. I am seeing a few similarities with the psycho and narcissistic behaviors of Jodi Arias and LS. Both of them were ungodly cruel in their murdering attacks. Both have to be perceived as being 'right' at all times. Both need to have the last word.
Jodi's 'fog' is Leticia's "insanity". And, even if her defense suggests not to take the stand, Leticia cannot stop herself.
MOO

 

[iamshadow21]

This is exactly how I put this together.

However, I wonder if it could it be as simple as Gannon vomiting. One of the several side effects of hydrocodone/vicadin is vomiting blood. He already has digestive and bowel troubles. It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to find out he vomited blood.

If that is the case, then forensic testing will show it. With a good sample, they can tell nosebleed blood and menstrual blood from injury blood. And I can't imagine that they wouldn't be able to identify blood mixed with either gastric juices like bile and partially digested food or blood mixed with foecal matter from the bowel apart from injury blood from, say, a stab wound, head wound, or gunshot wound. That hidden piece of carpet had significant staining. They would have tested for a lot of things on it, not limited to Gannon's DNA. They would have tested it against every house member, including the dogs, since the dogs were crated down there. We just have to see what the rest of the witnesses have to say about their findings.

MOO

 

[iamshadow21]

IMO, the behavior we have seen so far in court, is LS picking at her scalp, hiding in her hair fort, rubbing her mouth, chewing her fingernails, and most recently, the not so subtle hand gesturing. All, IMO are attempts to appear "insane". I do not believe the jury is buying this either.

They're also all signs of anxiety, speaking as someone who genuinely has GAD, the anxiety disorder LS claimed to have in her police interview. Maybe not the flipping the bird, but the rest.

But I think she is more likely chafing at the boredom and lack of autonomy and trying to act out in small ways to make herself feel powerful. It's that behaviour you see from very young children, pushing a rule to the absolute limit. Being told 'don't touch your brother' so they hold their fingers half an inch away from their brother and grin, because technically, they're obeying. The kind of stuff most of us grow out of by the time we're teenagers.

MOO

 

[Cindizzi]

Where is the best place to go back and watch? I read the live tweets here but seems I am missing some stuff.

This channel is good if you want to see the exhibits when a witness is on the stand describing them. They seem to stay zoomed in on the screen:

- 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

This channel seems to break their videos down to 2-3 hour segments by witness:

- 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

 

[LoveyG]

IMO, the behavior we have seen so far in court, is LS picking at her scalp, hiding in her hair fort, rubbing her mouth, chewing her fingernails, and most recently, the not so subtle hand gesturing. All, IMO are attempts to appear "insane". I do not believe the jury is buying this either.

IMO, it's nervous fiddling mixed with boredom. I think if she was trying to appear insane she would be going over the top. She'd be lolling her head around, speaking in tongues, tics. She's not smart enough to be subtle on purpose, MOO.

 

[NuttMegg]

Agreed. Juror 12 did the right thing by speaking up. I commend her. It would have been a mess if she hadn't spoke up. imo

Is there a short story about what happened with Juror 12? Was this in relation to LS hand gestures?

 

[Ontario Mom]

Is there a short story about what happened with Juror 12? Was this in relation to LS hand gestures?

The short story is, she's had the occaision through her church to have met one of the expert witnesses twice. Once, about 3 years ago and then again about a year ago.

 

[Tealgrove]

Is there a short story about what happened with Juror 12? Was this in relation to LS hand gestures?

No.

Juror 12 advised the court that she was acquainted with one of the witnesses.

 

[AngTxGal]

Letecia Stauch trial: Video shown to jury of Stauch assaulting detective and possibly lunging for firearm

Friday marked the end of the second week of Letecia Stauch’s jury trial, where the prosecution entered into evidence a video of Stauch assaulting an El Paso County detective while being taken to jail from South Carolina. The video was taken in early March after El Paso County detectives flew to...

gazette.com

During cross-examination, attorney Will Cook presented Bethel with a copy of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), which Cook referred to as the “bible” for psychiatrists diagnosing mental disorders.

Cook asked Bethel if her determination of Stauch’s sanity was made using knowledge from the DSM-5, which Bethel confirmed it was not.

At several points in the trial on Wednesday, where Bethel spent the full day testifying, Stauch could be seen reading the DSM-5 at the defense table.

And based on his logic, all people who attempt to escape from handcuffs and assault an officer are insane.
A teacher in Texas suffering from a mental break brandished a knife at a cop- and he was shot dead.

LS is lucky she has did not grab a gun and get out of the door of that transport van!

JMO

 

[x_files]

I am trying to wrap my mind about that burnt carpet. Carpets are generally fire retardant. How could it have been burnt so bad?

I can't recall. The infamous video about the candle and the fire, did we hear someone other than the two of them? Was she possibly trying to start a fire near where he fell asleep so he would die? What is the general consensus here?

My mind is going to bad spots. It was hard enough to realize that she killed him with his father's gun. And, now it seems like torture was also happening the night before.

It's possible. Did they mention any chemicals?

 

[x_files]

I’m torn on why LS is behaving the way she is. If it’s frustration, it’ll only get worse as the trial goes on.

I'm torn between whether she is a psychopath and has an undiagnosed mental illness or both.
I'm leaning toward both.

 

[SandyQLS]

I can't get past the cut out carpet sections.

Until yesterday we only knew of ONE 2'x2' cut out carpet section, with burn marks and candle wax, which was located in the trash can outside the house.

Then yesterday we learn, there was a second carpet section with large blood stains, hidden and rolled up inside another, larger carpet section, tucked away inside the storage area. That blood stained carpet section didn't have any burn marks on it at all.

So, was the blood stained carpet section we learned about yesterday, the original carpet next to the couch? Keeping in mind the testimony given stated there was a presumptive hit for (possible) blood on the burned area of the carpet next to the couch. So then, was the bloodied carpet removed, and replaced with another piece of carpet that she then burned intentionally, to claim that's why she had to cut that section out?

! What the... That's the best I can piece together, too, thank you for typing it out. Maybe G's foot bled all over that carpet section is the first incident, original carpet? It is notable that she hid the bloody section inside the clean remnant roll. Who would ever do that!? Gross - and she felt the need to hide it.