Testimony continued Tuesday afternoon in the Letecia Stauch murder trial; she stands accused of killing her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch.
Prosecutors say Stauch stabbed, shot, and beat her stepson inside the family’s El Paso County home in Colorado, on January 27, 2020. Months later, his body was found stuffed into a suitcase beneath a bridge in Pace, Florida.
Letecia Stauch is on trial at the El Paso County Court, facing first-degree murder and related charges.
Taking the stand Friday afternoon, forensic nurse examiner Amanda Van Nest said Stauch was a patient of hers in 2020 after the defendant arrived at the UC Health Memorial Hospital, following Gannon’s disappearance.
Van Nest said Stauch arrived by ambulance and said she had chest pains. Stauch told Van Nest that she also had been sexually assaulted by a construction worker named Edguardo. At the time, Gannon was still missing and Stauch claimed Edguardo took him after Gannon jumped on his back while trying to protect her.
Van Nest said Stauch told her that she had showered and washed her clothes before going to the hospital; Van Nest added that it didn’t appear as if the defendant had actually showered since she had “greasy hair” when she arrived.
Van Nest also told the court that she didn’t see or feel any bruising, blood, or any other injuries that would corroborate Stauch’s story. Van Nest did see abrasions and bruises on the defendant’s hands, but Van Nest said it was hard to say how old those injuries were.
John Grasse also took the stand Friday afternoon and identified himself as a retired detective lieutenant from Rhode Island. He said he was contacted about a search warrant concerning a van that Stauch rented, which she allegedly used to transport Gannon’s body.
Grassel said Stauch rented the van in Colorado, then police seized it during the investigation and ended it up in Rhode Island.
Grassel said investigators used Hemastix and Bluestar on the van to test for evidence. He described Bluestar as a blood reagent that investigators use to detect blood that the naked eye cannot see. Hemastix is “used at crime scenes to determine if what is being photographed at the scene is actually blood spatter.”
According to Grassel, a mat in the car was tested for blood, and a color reaction emerged on several parts of the mat, meaning blood and/or iron were found on those areas of the mat. Those test samples were subsequently sent to Colorado and Grassel said he doesn’t know whose blood had been found on the mat.
Along with several stains inside the van, investigators also found a prepaid phone card and a dog toy, Grassel told the court.
Sgt. Rosario Hubbell explained in a video which showed the search of #LeteciaStauch's home where possible blood was found in different areas. pic.twitter.com/4lX0QWzBHL
— Law&Crime Network (@LawCrimeNetwork) April 11, 2023
Also on the stand Friday afternoon: Former EPCSO 911 dispatcher, Kathryn Beckel, and Sergeant Rosario Hubbell with EPSCO, who pointed to numerous areas of blood spatter found throughout the Stauch family home in the Lorson Ranch neighborhood in Fountain.
The trial continues. Check back for updates.
Additional Reading
PART ONE: Tecia Stauch Interview
PART TWO: Tecia Stauch Interview
PART THREE: Tecia Stauch Interview
Neighbor Roderrick Drayton Interview
CLICK HERE to see all of our coverage on Gannon Stauch
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