Gannon Stauch: Alleged killer stepmom finally on her way to state mental hospital

The Colorado woman accused of killing her stepson, Gannon Stauch, will transfer shortly to the Pueblo State Hospital for a mental evaluation, which was ordered by a judge over a month ago.

During a court hearing Friday at the El Paso County courthouse, prosecutors and defense attorneys discussed the mental health status of Letecia Stauch, a Colorado woman accused of killing her 11-year-old stepson in January.

Stauch has been at the El Paso County Jail since March, on charges of murder, child abuse, and other related offenses. On June 9, 4th Judicial District Judge Gregory Werner approved the defense’s request to have Stauch undergo a mental competency evaluation, which will determine if she’s competent enough to stand trial.

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It’s unclear why Stauch still has not yet been transferred to the state hospital.

During Friday’s court hearing, the prosecution requested access to records to send to the mental health evaluator. Prosecutors also filed subpoenas to get access to Stauch’s previous mental health, employment, and medical records.

Stauch’s defense attorneys argued that her previous records “would not fall within establishing competency,” according to NBC 5. The judge didn’t make a ruling on the records but did ask the prosecution to shows examples of other cases in which a suspect’s records were acquired prior to a mental evaluation.

If Stauch is found mentally incompetent to stand trial, the criminal proceedings will halt and she’ll stay under a doctor’s care until she’s found to be competent.

The judge set a review date for August 7 to make sure Stauch has been sent to the state hospital. She’s due back in court in September if the evaluation is complete.

Letecia Stauch makes her first appearance in El Paso County District Court in Colorado Springs, Colo., Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Stauch faces several charges, including first-degree murder of a child, in the presumed death of 11-year-old Gannon Stauch. (KRDO-TV/The Gazette via AP, Pool)

Gannon Stauch Murder Investigation

As CrimeOnline previously reported, prosecutors said in a 32-page affidavit that that “probable cause exists to believe that” Stauch brutally murdered her stepson inside their Lorson Ranch home. Text messages and Internet searches indicate that Stauch may have possibly been overwhelmed with taking care of Gannon.

Stauch was the sole caregiver at the time of the boy’s disappearance and death. Gannon lived with Stauch and his father, but Al Stauch, at the time, was on a work trip with the U.S. National Guards in Oklahoma. Gannon’s biological mother, Landen Hiott, was in South Carolina.

According to the affidavit, Stauch attacked and killed Gannon inside his bedroom on January 27. Despite a neighbor who said his video showed Stauch leaving with Gannon that morning and later returning home alone, investigators believe that “Gannon likely did return home with Letecia that afternoon,” and died inside the residence.

Evidence from inside Gannon’s bedroom includes blood spatter on the walls, blood that soaked through the carpet, 50 droplets of blood on the wall, blood on wall sockets, and blood on the boy’s mattress.

“Based on the orientation of Gannon’s bed, the vast majority of the blood would be in line with the position of his head and torso,” the affidavit read.

A store receipt obtained by investigators showed a purchase for baking soda, a carpet cleaner, and trash bags on January 27, after 6 p.m. Investigators obtained Stauch’s phone and according to text messages, she instructed her 17-year-old daughter to buy the items for her.

Prosecutors allege that Stauch used the purchased items to clean up the crime scene. Investigators said the 17-year-old was likely not present when Gannon was killed.

Stauch previously told CrimeOnline that she maintains her innocence. Although she declined to discuss the details of the case, she said she is currently working with an attorney for her defense.

“It’s 90% speculation,” Stauch said, referring to the arrest affidavit.