The family of missing Colorado boy Gannon Stauch released a video Wednesday morning, thanking supporters for their strength and efforts as authorities continue their search.
Landen Hiott, the mother of 11-year-old Gannon, is holding onto hope that her son will return home safe. It’s been a little over a week since he was last seen, and as the days go by without him, Hiott says her fears have intensified.
“This week has been awful. It’s been more than a roller coaster ride…I don’t even have answers for my feelings,” Hiott said. “I am afraid. I am afraid I will never hear his voice, that I will never hear him run and say, ‘Mommy!’
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Gannon’s stepmother, Tecia Stauch, was supposedly taking care of the boy when he vanished. Gannon’s father, Al Stauch, who’s a member of the National Guard, was out of town working when his son vanished.
According to what Tecia Stauch told police, Gannon was last seen on January 27 at their home off of Mandan Drive in the Lorson Ranch neighborhood, near Colorado Springs. She claimed that Gannon left on foot to visit a friend in the neighborhood between 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., but never returned home.
So far, none of his friends have indicated that they saw Gannon that day. The boy also reportedly missed school on the day he vanished.
Neighbor Roderrick Drayton said he started doing some investigating on his own after Gannon mysteriously vanished.
“I couldn’t sleep so I just stayed up and I started looking through [surveillance footage],” Drayton said. “I looked through on my tablet, then I said, ‘Let me look on my TV to be sure.”
The video apparently showed Tecia and Gannon getting into a red truck in the driveway of their residence at around 10:15 a.m. on January 27. She backed the truck into the driveway of her residence and inched it close to the driveway.
Tecia got out of the truck and walked to the home. Within minutes, Gannon emerged and climbed into the backseat, while Tecia emerged and got into the driver’s seat, and drove away. Around four hours later, the video captured Tecia Stauch arriving back home in the truck, but she was alone.
Drayton showed the video Gannon’s father, who immediately broke down crying after watching it.
“He just broke down crying and said, ‘she lied. She lied about the time. He didn’t go to a friend’s house,’” Drayton told ABC 11.
The video has been turned over to authorities for investigation. Although investigators declined to comment on the video, they did not dispute the neighbor’s description of the surveillance footage.
WATCH Video HERE: Neighbor’s video shows missing boy Gannon Stauch leaving with stepmom. She returns home alone
Along with Hiott, Al Stauch is pleading for answers that will bring Gannon home. He urged anyone with tips, no matter how small, to contact authorities.
“Sometimes we’re jumping for joy because we [get] information we might think is a break in the case, but in the next minute, we… see something or get information that just breaks our heart in a million pieces again.”
Gannon is described as a white male who stands 4-feet-9-inches tall and weighs around 90 pounds. He has brown eyes and brown hair. He was last seen wearing a blue hooded jacket, jeans, and athletic shoes.
Anyone with any information on Gannon’s whereabouts is urged to contact the El Paso SO’s “Investigations Tip Line” at 719-520-6666. or the El Paso County SO 719-390-5555.
The story is developing. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Gannon Stauch/Handout]
