Colorado lady who blamed ‘psychotic crack’ for savage homicide of 11-year-old stepson sentenced to life
A Colorado lady whose protection blamed the savage homicide of her 11-year-old stepson and the dumping of his physique off a Florida bridge on a “main psychotic crack” was sentenced to life in jail Monday, because the choose rejected her declare that she was insane and considered one of her different personalities killed him.
Earlier within the day, jurors discovered Letecia Stauch responsible of first-degree homicide after deliberation, first-degree homicide of a kid by an individual ready of belief, tampering with a deceased human physique, and tampering with bodily proof within the killing of 11-year-old Gannon Stauch greater than three years in the past.
Stauch is alleged to have attacked the boy in his El Paso County, Colorado, bed room, in January 2020, stabbing him 18 occasions as he tried to battle her off earlier than hitting him within the head after which capturing him as soon as. Only a few hours later, she reported him lacking, claiming her stepson had not come dwelling from taking part in with associates.
Prosecutors stated Stauch killed the boy as a result of she hated him and wished to harm his father, Al Stauch, who was away on a Nationwide Guard deployment on the time. They stated she then put his physique in a suitcase and drove over 1,300 miles with it in a rented van. Fourth Judicial District Lawyer Michael Allen cited web searches suggesting Stauch was sad in her marriage and resentful of being handled like an unpaid babysitter of Gannon and his younger sister. The searches included, “I hate my stepson,” KMGH-TV reported.
‘PSYCHOTIC CRACK’ TO BLAME FOR 11-YEAR-OLD STEPSON SAVAGE MURDER, DUMPING OF BODY, WOMAN’S DEFENSE ARGUES
Letecia Stauch convicted of the ugly homicide of her 11-year-old stepson. (El Paso County Sheriff’s Workplace by way of Alokito Mymensingh 24, File)
Choose Gregory Werner stated Stauch was additionally motivated by “hatred and jealousy” of Gannon’s mom, Landen Bullard. Not like different defendants with psychological well being issues, Werner stated Stauch was by no means shocked by what her alleged different persona did however as an alternative took aware steps to cowl up her actions. “There is no such thing as a time throughout the minutes, hours, and days following the homicide the place Letecia got here out and questioned, ‘Gee, why am I carrying a physique round in my baggage?’ That simply is not credible,” he stated.
The choose described Stauch’s actions as “probably the most horrific I’ve ever seen,” giving the girl two life sentences with out parole on the 2 homicide expenses. She was additionally sentenced to an extra 12 years for tampering with a deceased human physique and 18 months for tampering with bodily proof, to be served consecutively.
Al Stauch broke down in courtroom whereas addressing Gannon, saying he by no means would have thought he was leaving him together with his “assassin.” Each he and Bullard recalled how their severely untimely son weighed a few pound and a half when he was born, in a position to match into the palms of his dad’s arms, however proved to be a survivor.
“You got here into this world combating. Sadly, you left this world combating,” Bullard stated.
Gannon Stauch was killed by his stepmother in February 2020. (El Paso County Sheriff’s Workplace)
After he was reported lacking, dozens of volunteers helped seek for the boy within the space round the place the household lived close to Colorado Springs. Investigators, nonetheless, later revealed that Stauch concocted a wide range of tales to mislead them, together with {that a} man she employed to restore a carpet raped her after which kidnapped Gannon.
CLOSING ARGUMENTS NEAR IN GRUESOME COLORADO MURDER TRIAL OF STEPMOM WHO ALLEGEDLY STABBED 11-YEAR-OLD STEPSON
After Al Stauch grew to become suspicious of his spouse, he allowed the FBI to eavesdrop on his telephone calls with Stauch, making an attempt to attract out extra info from her about the place Gannon was. Hours of audio from these calls, together with video recordings of interviews with Stauch about her psychological well being, have been a distinguished a part of the proof supplied throughout the five-week trial.
Gannon’s physique was present in a suitcase under a bridge on the Florida Pandhandle throughout an inspection completed twice a 12 months in what prosecutors known as “divine intervention.”
Stauch didn’t deny killing Gannon, however she pleaded not responsible by cause of madness. The protection argued that she killed Gannon throughout a “main psychotic crack” attributable to trauma from being bodily, emotionally and sexually abused throughout her childhood.
Authorities spent weeks looking for 11-year-old Gannon Stauch earlier than his stepmother was arrested, and his physique was present in Florida. (El Paso County Sheriff’s Workplace)
Specialists on the state psychological hospital concluded that Stauch had a persona dysfunction with borderline and narcissistic options however was sane on the time Gannon was killed. Below Colorado regulation, which means understanding the distinction between proper and fallacious and with the ability to kind the intent to commit against the law.
The principle protection witness, Dr. Dorothy Lewis, writer of the e-book “Loopy, Not Insane” and featured in an HBO documentary with the identical title, concluded Stauch suffered from dissociative identification dysfunction – when somebody has two or extra personalities as the results of trauma – and was not sane on the time Gannon was killed.
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Within the weeks main as much as Gannon’s killing, Stauch was identified with generalized anxiousness dysfunction after she was referred to a psychologist whereas being handled at a navy well being clinic. Therapist Ronda Niederhauser testified that Stauch didn’t present any indicators of being a risk to herself or others and was conscious of her environment.
