CO - Gannon Stauch, 11, found deceased, Colorado Springs, El Paso County, 27 Jan 2020 *Arrest* #59

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/FierroNicole

https://twitter.com/x/status/1648409949305982976

https://twitter.com/x/status/1648410221738598400

 

[Ontario Mom]

This new witness has more experience than anyone so far, really.

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/AshleyPorteeyo

https://twitter.com/x/status/1648410895587102720

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/ZachNDupont

https://twitter.com/x/status/1648411307144790017

 

[Megnut]

When she went to get "dog food", we know she reclaimed Gannon from PP. Might she have had an opportunity while off-grid to buy tons of kitty litter? Would open containers of kitty litter absorb the scent of decomp? Or does it need to be applied to the source, to be effective? She could have discarded it, no one any the wiser.

Just a thought.

Jmo

 

[iamshadow21]

Judge Werner begins by talking to the jury about being more restricted in their movements behind the scenes than they were when the trial began because of the courts being crammed with cases and dockets right now. They have to stay in the jury room, use one specific restroom, knock before entering, etc. The back hallway is used for access for jury members, attorneys, witnesses and, at times, for defendants.

Witness Tom Griffin takes the stand. Private consultant, bloodstain pattern analyst. Many decades of experience in different orgs - police, Colorado Bureau of Investigation, private. Keeps up with qualifications, conferences, teaches workshops. Has certifications in the field and has maintained them, also served on the certification board. You get the idea, lots of experience, qualifications, awards, publications. Has worked as an expert witness for both prosecution and defense.

 

[Love Never Fails]

LS thought she could get away from this with no body. Just doesn’t work. Bodies have a way of being found.

I do believe she and Lori Vallow are crazy to the point that when they are locked up, they should not be allowed to be with other, more vulnerable prisoners.

Wishing Suzanne Morphews body could now be found. I’m getting sick of these cases. I’m drawn to follow them through to justice but this is getting to me.

 

[Seattle1]

The charges were probably talked about prior to trial ,and it was probably related to some tactic where they told her they would charge her for lying if she was found to be lying . She wasnt . impedding an investigation lying to a LE officer ..etc.. there is a lot of playground here for investigators to use. She was not found to be lying and ,she is pretty compliant and seems to have been the whole time.

Actually, per the AA, HH wasn't cooperative -- at least not until probably after her mom was arrested (in March).

And IMO, HH's only hope is to remain no-contact with LS.

 

[Cindizzi]

When the evidence gets a little too heavy, I like to look back at the time when LS was insisting that she wanted to represent herself:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1365372523169333251

 

[Curious Me]

Looking forward to seeing her, but I think she's a Defense witness, so she'll probably be talking about Letecia's multiple personalities. I believe Aunt Brenda, and her husband who passed, helped raise Letecia.​

Spoiler

"Tommy loved children and was a big influence in the upbringing of Tecia Stauch (spouse Albert) of Myrtle Beach, S.C."

 

[Chelly]

Paid expert witness for prosecution. He has been certified in blood stain pattern analysis.

 

[Chelly]

It seems every paid expert witness I've watched, whether for defense or prosecution, is always up there in age.
MOO

 

[10ofRods]

I know more about bipolar disorder than I ever cared to know because my mom has it. And while LS has exhibited signs of possible mania at times (specifically, impulsivity, pressurized speech, and an exaggerated sense of self), her behavior could just as easily be indicative of other disorders. Borderline Personality Disorder, Histrionic Personality Disorder, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder are a few that come to mind. But, more importantly, I haven’t seen a shred of evidence that suggests she's ever suffered from psychosis.

Psychotic episodes don’t just magically go away or resolve their own. That’s not how psychosis works. I have to assume that’s why she's claiming she was in a dissociative state instead. Recovering from psychosis is a hard, lengthy process that often requires hospitalization. For family members, it can often feel like an excruciating and painful slog of two steps forward and three steps back. No one having a psychotic episode can make the kind of methodical plans LS made. They would never be able to conceal a body without detection for even a brief period of time. They would never be able to muster up the kind of focus required to move clear across the country with such purpose. When my mom was in the throes of psychosis, she circled images of Santa Claus on a Where’s Waldo? activity sheet and wrote her name backwards and upside down like that possessed chick from that movie Stigmata.

Sadly, I’m not joking.

It's possible that LS was hospitalized for mania or depression when she lied to HH and said she had cancer years ago. But I didn't see anything that resembled either of those things during her trip back to Colorado with the police. And we know she wasn't hospitalized between the day she killed Gannon and her arrest. Considering the fact that psychosis doesn't just resolve on its own, I think it's clear LS wasn't suffering from a psychotic break at the time of and/or after Gannon's death.
IMHO

Colorado's standard is:

• The Irresistible Impulse Test - Defendant unable to control their impulses due to a mental disorder, leading to the commission of a criminal act.

I think many bipolar episodes would fall under that rubric (as opposed to the rules in other states). Doesn't require psychosis. Just an irresistible impulse. Here's more on their rule:

The Irresistible Impulse Test - FindLaw

The Irresistible Impulse Test gained acceptance in various states as an appendage to the M'Naghten Rule, under which right versus wrong was still considered a vital part of any definition of insanity. Learn more about topics like these at FindLaw's section on Criminal Procedure.

www.findlaw.com

Thing is, it just says "mental illness." And I see, all over the internet and in real life, people including personality disorders, fugue states, disassociative states, paraphilias, phobias, intellectual impairment, atypical neurological states along with the obvious (schizophrenia, bipolar, unipolar depression, schizoaffective). If we're claiming that T. has 4 to infinity personality disorders, I can't predict how the jury will see it. I sure hope she has no records of being psychiatrically hospitalized.

Those of you who have studied the witness list might be able to weigh in - I think her recent contact (perhaps virtual) with Dr. Lewis is basically the only psychiatric contact she's had. I'm hoping that, anyway.

IMO. I too had a close family member who was (severely) Bipolar II (doctor initially thought schizophrenia). This person did a lot of strange things when in a psychotic depression. Fortunately, Bipolar II's are not as likely as Bipolar I's to harm people or spend the entire family bank account (but my family member did cause others to have financial issues, specifically myself).

At any rate, CO's standard doesn't require psychosis (inability to discern right from wrong or anything like that - just an "irresistible impulse" to a "mental condition"). Coloradans probably have some sense of what this means, on the ground - would love to hear from some!

IMO

 

[Kiranerys]

It's actually not that much. I thought so too. But today I went to the forensic journals and found that spraying a light solution of baking powder on a body helps preserve it during the autopsy period (this is especially used in veterinary medicine, but around the world, it's used for humans as well). It needs to be reapplied if days and days go by. By the time the body was found, there would be no further aid from the baking soda (if applied - although knowing T., she could have dumped a lot in there), The soda itself might have mostly decomposed or entirely decomposed (which is why if your carpet is an issue, you might have to reapply several times).

But I figure that the cold was her first idea about slowing decomp, and if she used baking soda, it might have helped delay for a few more days. Indeed, since decomp occurs more quickly in humid environments, she ought not to have headed for FL - but her nerves must have been jangling, because I figure she knew decomp would be accelerated by damp.

That's why she tried to throw him into the water.

All my speculation, JMO. At any rate, the volume of baking soda used for this purpose in Egypt was very small (kind of like using talcum powder on a baby - so not that much). Indeed, one could mix the baking soda with talc to good effect for this purpose or with arrowroot or cornstarch. All of those things do decompose into other products and might well be undetectable three months out.

IMO.

This is all really interesting, I certainly know what to do if I ever need to preserve a body

My question is, do any of us really believe that the esteemed Dr Stauch was smart enough to know how the ancient Egyptians embalmed bodies?, this is the same woman who has shown on numerous occasions that she thinks and makes decisions on the fly, she meets a bump in the road and she adapts and changes course, I think she even made the decision to take Gannon with her at the last minute because the opportunity presented itself.

Jmo

 

[10ofRods]

Too bad for the defense that T maintained a veritable spree of violence, sustained over nearly 24 hours, with typical functioning in between. Leaving her phone behind, going shopping, answering the door, sending little L away. No one-time crime of passion, no obvious psychotic break. Just self-serving T serving herself.

So it wasn't spontaneous and Irresistible. She assembled her kill kit -- or went in search as she needed. Methodical, calculated. Many opportunities to cease and desist, including when she did exactly that, for a period overnight between the fire and the truck video.

Soulless wretch.

Jmo

I totally agree. I hope everyone on the jury is like you and me (and most of us here).

 

[iamshadow21]

On one of the limitations of the science - "It's only as good as the documentation."

Report is 'limited' when no body is available. Also when a scene has been cleaned.

Was called into the case on Feb 18th by Lt Mihalko. On the 22nd, received a flash drive with over 300 images from the residence. Primarily could see spatter stains.

Went to the scene with FBI Agent DeFrance, met with CSI Beresford and Sgt Hubble. Hubble walked them through the scene.

Primary focus to remain objective in his approach, comparing images he'd seen with the physical scene.

Stains on the wall were 1mm or less in size. As narrow or narrower than the edge of a dime.

There were bloodstains on the wall both above and below the height of the bed. Between two and three dozen stains below the height of the bed. Reading the letter-numbers associated with these stains from his report now.

 

[Kiranerys]

When the evidence gets a little too heavy, I like to look back at the time when LS was insisting that she wanted to represent herself:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1365372523169333251

Somebody really needs to play her back some of this footage, she will realise her poker face needs work

 

[arielilane]

The Defendant flipping the bird is now in evidence. moo

 

[arielilane]

https://twitter.com/AshleyPorteeyo

https://twitter.com/x/status/1648416693436432386

In late February, Griffin went to the Stauch home to analyze the blood patterns in Gannon’s bedroom. He was asked to identify possible mechanisms which caused the blood on the scene, including the walls, baseboard and floor area.

 

[Chelly]

LS appears very bored with the very stout book in front of her. Lots of page flipping. Here comes some finger action plus nose wiping.