Shivangi Sinha
In January 2020, 11-year-old Gannon Stauch was reported missing in El Paso County, Colorado. What initially appeared to be a case of a young boy running away soon took a different turn as investigators uncovered evidence suggesting he had been harmed. A large-scale search was launched, with multiple agencies joining the effort, but the truth turned out to be far closer to home than expected. The episode titled ‘Gannon is Missing’ in Paramount+’s ‘FBI True’ explores the investigation and how the case was ultimately solved in detail.
Gannon Stauch Was Living With His Father and Stepmother When He Went Missing
Gannon Jacob “G-Man” Stauch was born on September 29, 2008, to Albert Stauch and Landen Hoitt. He grew up in South Carolina alongside his two sisters, Laina and Novah, but as time went on, his parents’ relationship began to deteriorate. They eventually separated, and by January 2015, Albert had married Letecia Stauch. Gannon later moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he lived with his sister Laina and Letecia’s daughter from a previous relationship, Harley. For a long time, life appeared stable and routine for the family until everything changed one day.
On January 27, 2020, Gannon stayed home from school due to a reported illness. Later that evening, Letecia called the police to report that he was missing. At the time, Albert was out of state for National Guard training. Authorities quickly launched a search, but the case proved complicated, as it did not appear that Gannon had run away on his own. His status was soon updated to endangered missing child. On March 18, 2020, Gannon’s remains were discovered inside a suitcase beneath the Escambia Bay Bridge in Pace, Florida, over 1,000 miles from his home. An autopsy later revealed that he had died from blunt force trauma, sharp force injuries, and a gunshot wound.
The Killer Moved Gannon Stauch’s Remains to a Different State
According to reports, when Letecia Stauch first reported Gannon missing, she suggested that he may have left on his own. In her initial statements to police, she claimed that Gannon had walked out of the house around 2–3 pm to meet a friend and never returned. However, her account soon began to change. She provided conflicting details about the timeline and even about what Gannon was wearing when he left. When Albert Stauch returned, she told him a different story altogether, alleging that a man had entered the home, assaulted her, and taken Gannon.
Based on her statements, investigators began to suspect that Gannon may have been in danger, and his case was soon classified as that of an endangered missing child. The FBI’s Child Abduction Rapid Deployment team, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, and the Colorado Springs Police Department all joined the search efforts. Meanwhile, Letecia left Colorado and traveled to South Carolina. Authorities grew increasingly suspicious due to inconsistencies in her accounts and encouraged Albert to speak with her while their conversations were being recorded. Although she continued to deny any involvement in Gannon’s disappearance, additional evidence soon began to emerge that pointed in another direction.
Police executed a search warrant at Letecia and Albert’s home and discovered large traces of blood in the bedroom, which appeared to have been cleaned. Letecia quickly became the prime suspect because she was the last person seen with Gannon. CCTV footage from a neighbor’s house showed Letecia and Gannon leaving the home together in her truck in the morning and returning around 3 pm, contradicting her earlier statements. The footage also captured her loading a suitcase into her car a few days later. On March 2, 2020, Letecia was arrested in Myrtle Beach in Horry County, South Carolina. The authorities alleged she attempted to flee while she was being extradited to Colorado, as the vehicle moved around I-70 in Kansas.
Letecia Stauch is Serving Two Life Sentences in Colorado Today
When Gannon’s remains were discovered on March 17, 2020, a bullet was found inside the suitcase that matched one Letecia had access to. Letecia Stauch was ultimately charged with first-degree murder of a child by a person in a position of trust, child abuse resulting in death, tampering with a deceased human body, and tampering with physical evidence. After her extradition to Colorado, she pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but was deemed competent to stand trial. At her trial in May 2023, prosecutors argued that Letecia had longstanding difficulties in her role as a stepparent, which they suggested contributed to her control over Albert Stauch.
They presented evidence suggesting she initially disposed of Gannon’s remains in Colorado and later transported them to Florida, where they were discovered. Letecia was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to two consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole, along with 12 years and 18 months for the other charges. She is now 42 years old and is serving her sentence at the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility in Denver, Colorado, where Letecia Stauch will remain for the rest of her life.
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