COLORADO SPRINGS — The woman jailed for the murder of her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch, has entered a “not guilty” please on Thursday in an El Paso County Courtroom.
Letecia Stauch did not speak during Thursday’s hearing, her counsel entered the plea on her behalf.
The defense team, questioning Stauch’s mental competency, asked that she be evaluated by a state hospital. Judge Gregory Werner agreed an evaluation is necessary, but was concerned it could push back the trial date.
The attorneys will meet with Judge Werner in December to make a plan. For now, both sides will file motions presenting what they want included in Stauch’s evaluation.
Gannon was reported missing in January 2020.
At first, Stauch said her stepson went to play at a friend’s house and did not return. But after weeks of searching in Colorado Springs, his remains were found in Florida. According to investigators, Gannon had been shot and stabbed multiple times.
Community members set up a memorial in honor of Gannon Stauch, outside his Colorado Springs neighborhood in 2020.
In April of 2020, Gannon’s father, Al Stauch, spoke about the difficulties his family is experiencing as the case moves through the judicial process.
“Nothing will trump the loss for me and [Gannon’s biological mother and sister], that we feel every day with Gannon. But to compound it… with financial issues, the emotional stress, and just the daily – having to live with these things going on,” Al Satuch said at the time. “But we still got a long way to go and we’re going to make it all the way through it.”
