COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (FOX21/WBTW) — Letecia Stauch will face a judge in Colorado for the first time Wednesday for charges in connection with the disappearance of her stepson, 11-year-old Gannon Stauch, News13 sister station FOX21 reports.
Stauch is charged with:
- murder in the first degree (child under twelve – position of trust)
- child abuse resulting in death
- tampering with a deceased human body
- tampering with physical evidence
Stauch is expected to see a judge at 4 p.m. MT at the El Paso County Courthouse. FOX21 will be in the courtroom and will have updates throughout the day. The 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office will formally file charges against her and the next court date will be set.
Stauch is being held without bond in the Criminal Justice Center in El Paso County.
Stauch was arrested on March 2 in Myrtle Beach, News13 previously reported. On March 3, she appeared in a Myrtle Beach courtroom for her initial hearing and was booked into the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. Stauch didn’t fight extradition to Colorado. She was booked in the Saline County Jail in Kansas on March 4 while being extradited to Colorado. Stauch arrived in El Paso County, Colorado on March 5.
Stauch was employed with Horry County Schools from November 2010 until she resigned on June 29, 2015, according to Lisa Bourcier, spokesperson for the district. Stauch started her employment in the district as a para-professional and held this position until 2012. She then worked as a special education teacher until her resignation.
Many media outlets have filed a motion to have Stauch’s arrest affidavit unsealed including News13’s sister station KDVR.
Stauch reported Gannon as a runaway on January 27, telling the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office he left to visit a friend in the afternoon and never returned. An intense search began quickly after his disappearance, focusing first on areas surrounding the Stauch family home on Mandan Drive in Security. The search later expanded to multiple areas throughout El Paso and Douglas counties.
While being taken back to Colorado, Stauch allegedly slipped out of her handcuffs and assaulted a deputy, KKTV reports.
Al Stauch filed for divorce from Letecia Stauch on Thursday, March 5, the same day she arrived in the El Paso County Jail.
The sheriff’s office said it will continue to accept credible tips in this case and that they are still searching for Gannon’s body. Those can be made by calling 719-520-6666 or by emailing tips@elpasoco.com.
Count on News13 for updates.
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