Law&Crime Sidebar - 6 Damaging Lies Told by Accused Child Killer Letecia Stauch

Episode Date: April 25, 2023

Since the day Gannon Stauch disappeared, his accused killer stepmom’s story has changed numerous times. From phone conversations with Gannon’s dad, Al Stauch, to interviews with the FBI, Letecia Stauch has been caught spewing lie after lie in attempts to deflect blame off of herself. The Colorado woman stands accused of brutally murdering her stepson in his bedroom, stuffing his body into a suitcase, and dumping it in Florida. The Law&Crime Network’s Angenette Levy breaks down the six most damaging lies told by Stauch throughout the investigation into Gannon’s death. Plus, famed attorney Jose Baez reacts to Stauch's claim that she retained him as defense counsel in her case.LAW&CRIME SIDEBAR PRODUCTION:YouTube Management - Bobby SzokePodcasting - Sam GoldbergWriting & Video Editing - Michael DeiningerGuest Booking - Alyssa FisherSocial Media Management - Vanessa Bein & Kiera BronsonSUBSCRIBE TO OUR OTHER PODCASTS:Court JunkieObjectionsThey Walk Among AmericaCoptales and CocktailsThe Disturbing TruthSpeaking FreelyLAW&CRIME NETWORK SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawandcrime/Twitter: https://twitter.com/LawCrimeNetworkFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/lawandcrimeTwitch: https://www.twitch.tv/lawandcrimenetworkTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lawandcrimeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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All these people putting all this super show up about blood and all this bullcrap. It doesn't any blood in the house because it's getting it. Can the bleat all the time. Okay. There's no, there's no massacre occurred in our hole. That's Letitia Stouk, telling one of many tall tales about the disappearance of her stepson, Gannon.

So how does famed criminal defense attorney Jose Baez come into the case? Maybe it's part of her defense, that she's insane, that she's imagining that she called her office. I have no idea. I'm Anjanet Levy, and welcome to Law and Crimes Sidebar Podcast. We've been following the murder trial of Letitia, Stalk out of Colorado for several weeks now, and we've been telling you about the many things that she has said that simply are not true. Stout claims that she was insane when she killed Gannon Stalk in January 2020 and then drove his body to Florida from Colorado and dumped him, stuffed in a

suitcase, over a bridge in Florida's plan handle. Prosecutors say on January 27, 2020, Latisha attacked Gannon in his bedroom. They were living in El Paso County, Colorado. That's the Colorado Springs area. Crime scene investigators found evidence that 11-year-old Gannon had been killed in his room. That evidence included blood on his walls and his mattress. Deputies believed Stalk acted suspiciously about this disappearance from the very beginning, and their suspicions were well-founded. When asked about Gannon, Letitia lied and then lied some more and lied again. It became this absolute mountain of lies that she could never really get out of. The biggest lie, or series of lies, I should say, was about how Gannon went missing. Listen to prosecutor Michael

J. Allen, talk about that. The defendant then purposely, intentionally came up with numerous different stories about what had happened. Gannon was missing. Went to a friend's house and never returned. Gannon was kidnapped and she was raped by a guy named McGuardo. Gannon was kidnapped and she was raped, but this time by a guy named Quincy Brown. She went to look for a bike up near that Douglas County, El Paso County line. Gannon test rode that bike, crashed, and suffered a horrible head injury. And a guy named Quincy Brown takes Gannon, and now the defendant doesn't know where she is. Cartels were somehow involved with Gannon's disappearance.

And most cruelly, that Landon Hyatt, Gannon's mother was involved with Gannon's disappearance. All of her actions were purposely designed by her to distance herself from what she did. On January 29th, 2020, Letitia Stalk claimed to investigators that a man named Eduardo raped her and then took Gannon. Deputies really didn't buy that story because they say that Letitia Stalk never called 911 to report this rape or kidnapping and wouldn't participate in helping collect evidence that would lead to this possible person being identified. One person very important in Letitia Stalk's life that she lied to was her husband, Al Stalk, he was Gannon's father, of course, his biological father.

Al Stalk testified about when he realized that his wife was lying to him about what happened to Gannon. Did you have an occasion to see surveillance video from neighbors in your neighborhood? Did you? Yes. Okay. Did you see Gannon ever walking away on those videos from your house and never returning? I did not, no, sir.

Okay. So back to, well, I have to ask a question. Okay. So you were earlier describing an accumulation of things that led you to change your opinion or your mind as to what actually happened with Gannon. Yes, sir. And you said, I think one of the big things was the defendant telling you that her car was at French, you go to French, and it's not there. Yes, sir. Is that accurate?

Yeah, that was the key moment when I switched from, she knows more than she's telling me, she knows. There are also a number of recorded phone calls where Al Stouk is asking his wife, Letitia, about what happened to his son Gannon, and she repeatedly lies to him. If you give me the truth, okay, I'll stand by you. Okay, but here's where I'm at. Here's my feelings on it, okay? You just didn't hear me out. Please, okay?

All right? I know that you did something. I know that you're responsible, okay? And I hope there was a good reason. for it. But the problem is it's clear to me that I can't get getting back through you, okay? I had I had serious hope that, you know, we can stand by each other through this, but you know what? I'm past that point now. After all these lies and you just admitted that you lied to me for a reason to prove a point, I don't have hope for us. And you know what I'm worried to death about? I'm going to have to testify eventually about this, and I don't know what I should say. I have no clue what to say about this. Because now I'm put in position of the truth of my wife. And I don't know what to say.

I don't know what to say when I get called up there to testify eventually. What's- Do you just put your conversation? You, please, that. I absolutely said that. And I want you to know what you think I should say when I get to have to testify, because I'm going to get called up there. To testify in this situation. I don't know. I'm hoping it doesn't come down to murder.

I haven't seen my son in three weeks, and nobody can find him, okay? Maybe it was an accident, and somebody just panicked. I don't have it. I'm no, I'm farther away from the truth than I was when I started talking to you after two weeks. You were the last one to see him, and I just don't know what I'm going to say when I have to sit on that stand and freaking cry in front of the world about my son. know what the hell I'm going to say. Other than that, you freaking lied over and over and over and over and then never told me any element of the truth. You can say no, no, no, all you want to, but all you've done is lie to me and make up fake people that are in Mexico right now. Tell me, tell me the truth, Tricia. Tell me what I'm supposed to say. Tell me how to stand by you.

You've already said what you think is in your mind and what people has proved in my mind. Yeah, it's not about what I think, though. Okay. I'm not. asking you how I can stand by you what the truth is so I can stand by you through this I'm just what you said there in a cage myself because my own husband

I would listen to what you said that's not what I said okay you said that not me I said you're responsible you're responsible to some degree that's what I said

we didn't worry about you testify is what you said. Yeah, absolutely. For someone what you said. Because I got to get up there. I got to get up. I'm going to have to get up there understand and look you in the eye and tell them you, you lied to me and told me 15 stories.

And when they ask me what I think, I'm going to tell them I think you're responsible. Now, these phone calls between Letitia and Al go on and on and on. And in many of them, law enforcement agents are there with Al Stouk. and they're kind of coaching him along, helping him to keep his emotions in check. So he doesn't get too upset and he can really keep her talking. That's all they want throughout this investigation so they can find Gannon. Now, you hear Al Stalk talk about these people from Mexico. That's clearly a reference to the man Eduardo who Letitia claimed, raped her, and then kidnapped Gannon.

She then changed the story, claiming that Uncle Matt took Gannon. And then she claimed that somebody named Quincy Brown was responsible for his disappearance. Are you going to deny it? You're not going to die. Because you're denying stuff you think is not true. I've already said I'm asking you to what you said. You're the last one to see him? That I am not the last one to see it.

Then who is? Yeah, you told me Quincy Brown, we proved him false, okay? That was easy. What I had to do was call a reporter, okay? I didn't have to have any evidence. I just called the reporter. She said, yep, he ain't been around for a while. He's been gone a minute.

Okay. Okay. So who was it? You've already said that it was no one else. So why does it matter? But you just said it was, so I'm asking who it was. I have not listened. See, here you go again.

You can't spin me, Tisha. You can spend Facebook. You can spin the media, but you can't spend me, all right? Letitia Stouk told her ex-husband so many stories about what happened. Deganan and who took him. And lying to people she loves her, those closest to her, is really not something new for Letitia Stouk. She's been doing it for a really long time. She actually lied to her own daughter, Harley Hunt, about the cause of her father's death. What about your relationship with Albert? How'd that go? He had a good relationship. You know, when Albert first came in,

it's when my dad passed away. So, you know, that was difficult for me at first, because I didn't want, like, my father to feel replaced. That's how I felt like in my heart. But as time grew, we got closer. What was your father's name? Chance. Hunt? Yes.

Do you remember when he died? Yes, when I was 12 in October. So would that have been October, 2000? Help me out with the math here. 12 or 14. Some time in that time frame? Yeah. When your father passed away where Albert and your mom married?

Yes. Do you know how your dad passed away? Yes. How did he die? An overdose. And when did you first learn that? This past week. What were you told how he died before?

That someone came in and robbed him and killed him. And who told you that? My mom. Had she ever told you the truth as to how your dad died? No. How'd you learn about that then? The Internet. This case has got an enormous amount of attention on social media and the Internet.

Is that right? Yes. And you have actually gotten a lot of attention on the Internet because of this case. Is that right? Yes. Very difficult you being here right now. testifying this court? Yes.

Harley Hunt didn't learn until very recently the actual cause of her father's death. Can you imagine that? Letitia Stalk, you'll recall, rented a van to drive Gannon's body across the country so she could dump it and hide it, and she forced her daughter Harley to go on this cross-country trip with her. Leticia wouldn't tell Harley why they were driving to Florida and lied to her, telling her that a video would surface that would prove she was innocent. Did she know where she was going?

Did she ever tell you, I'm lost? I don't know what we're doing here. No. Where did you think you were going as you lived the Walmart in Trinidad? Texas. Why Texas? Um, I just remember her saying, like, Texas is a good place to live. Up into this point, did you notice anything unusual in the back of the day?

No. anything in the back of it. No. You talked about Gannon and where Gannon might be driving down through Trinidad Southern Colorado. No, she was on the phone a lot talking to people about everything. What was she talking about? I remember one conversation was about a video that was going to be surfaced. She said I was going to prove her innocence. Just going over like everything that happened. Who is your mom concerned about during these phone conversations? Sustained, I think you can ask her what she said. Sure.

During these phone conversations, did you hear your mother talking about? Did I what? I'm sorry. You hear your mother talking on the phone to someone on the other side? Yes. Did you hear what she was saying? Yes. Who was she talking about with regards to?

to what's going on with Gannon being missing and things like that? Her sister. Was she talking about her sister or was she talking to her sister about herself? Talking to her sister about herself. And what were the kind of things she was saying? Um, she just kept saying like she was set up that this video that's going to surface will show that Gannon came home. Um, just things along that line. line. A key witness who testified against Letitia Stalk was her former boss, Leslie Hicks. Hicks was

the assistant principal at Mountain Ridge Middle School where Stalk worked. Listen as Hicks recalls what Stalk told her about her stepfather dying at 3 a.m. on January 27th, 2020. That's a very important date. That is the date that Gannon Stalk was murdered. Listen as Hicks recalls what Stalk told her about her stepfather dying at that time. What time was the message from the defendant's phone sent to your phone on January 27th of 2020? 3 a.m. Okay. Did you read it at 3 a.m?

No. What were you doing? Okay. What did the message say? I'm sorry for the time of night message, but my stepfather passed away. Someone hit him with a car while he was walking. I can update you at a later time. All right.

Subsequent message that your phone received, what was that message? The message. Was it the same? Was it different? The same message. Okay. What time was that message? 437 a.m.

Okay, so exactly the same as the message that was sent at 3 a.m. from the defendant's phone. At some point that morning, did you wake up? Yes. Okay. Like a busy assistant principal. principal, were you then able to look at all your messages? Yes. Okay. When you had an opportunity to read this message, what was your response? I responded saying, oh my goodness, as a teacher, I'm so sorry. Okay. And we'll move onwards. What else did you say?

And then I shall we try to find a sub for you today? Okay. And about what time is this based on the timestamps we see here 5.50 a.m. Okay. Subsequent response by the defendant's telephone number. We'll move up. What was that response? Good question marks. It's a parent. All my family lives in the East Coast. I'm trying to find a way to get there. And what time was that sent? Oh, it was sent at 721. Okay. What was your response to that message? Okay. I'm just trying to understand your plans so that we can find coverage. Am I understanding that you will not be in today?

And what time was that sent? 732. And the response from the defendant's phone. Yes, it's my parent. I can't believe that you, that I can't believe that would not be an assumption in a time like this. Letitia lied about her stepfather dying, the prosecution says, so she could actually buy some time to get rid of Gannon's body. The next lie came when Stout claimed she had been in touch with a high-profile attorney. Who knows a thing or two about representing a woman in a high-profile case accused of killing a child?

It was Casey Anthony's former lead attorney. I am not a bad person. I'm innocent. I agreed to even take a lie detector since for you. Well, that's that, I mean, that's not for me. I don't have, I'm not going to give you a lie detector test. Well, I mean, it's not, it's not for you for you to believe me. But who are you, have you talked to them about this lie detector test, or you just told me about it? I got recalled from big time attorney.

I got Hose-Yez law firm willing to come and de Keeke. That's how, how much they know is screwed up. Do you know who the Bayos law firm is? You know I don't pay attention to that shit. Do you know who they represented? No, tell me. A lot of big time names. And people magazine, people are like kids,

but they're not, that the way that things are going and it's not the direction of my team. And so if you don't want to be on my team to be, like, against them, parking everything, then these people will put it out there. And joining me is Jose Biden,

The one and only who was referenced in that piece of audio that you just heard where Letitia Stouk talked about him contacting her about representing him. Jose Baez, welcome to Sidebar. Thanks for coming on. Have you ever been in touch with Letitia Stout? I thought I had addressed this, I think, about a year ago when it first came out in the news. But no, the answer is no. And I usually don't comment. I would say about 95% of the time, I would never comment as to as to whether someone reached out to our office because much of that is covered within the attorney crime privilege.

But no, we don't have, we've never had any conversations with her. We never entertained representing her. I really don't know what this is all about. I'm a little bit disappointed that it's being brought up in a courtroom. I don't think it has any place in a courtroom as to when an accused person is seeking counsel. So I think it's highly inappropriate on both sides, whether perhaps the defense objected to it coming in or it should have been redacted from whatever audios were played. But I think it's quite unfortunate.

Interesting you bring that up. And I will say this because if you listen to the audio clip in which she references your name and says that the Baez law firm has called her about representing her, she talks about her willingness to take a lie detector test. And she says they're not permissible in court. I think she misunderstands the verbiage, which she's correct, but they're not admissible in court. So it's interesting that she would even be allowed to talk about a lie detector test. Obviously, she can talk about whatever she wants on a recorded phone call with her husband. But it's interesting. interesting that that would even be allowed in the courtroom? Yes. I mean, again, even the mentioning of polygraph tests, first of all, we would never call someone to offer out our representation. That's highly unethical and it's not something that my firm participates in. So I can tell you this. We have a full caseload and that was not a case that I was even on my radar. I'm not even familiar with the case, to be honestly. I know it's probably a murder case. That's about the extent of it.

And I remember there was some issue with her traveling to Florida. But that's the extent of what I know about that case. And we certainly never called her. And I think it's, again, I think it's highly inappropriate to talk about polygraphs or lawyers in a case. I don't know what that proves or disproves in a murder case, period. So I think it's quite unfortunate that this is going on. Yeah, I think it's probably all about her telling these multiple stories. That's been a theme throughout this case, is that she told multiple stories about what happened to her stepson.

She's now using an insanity defense. So it's an affirmative defense, meaning you basically admit you did it, but you're saying you didn't know right from wrong. the time. Maybe it's part of her defense that she's insane, that she's imagining that she called our office. So there you have it. Just six of some of the biggest lies that Letitia Stalk was caught in throughout her murder trial. There are many more where those came from, but these are just the ones that really stood out to us. And that's it for this edition of Law and Crime Sidebar podcast. You can listen to and download Sidebar on Apple, Spotify, Google, and wherever else you get your podcasts, and of course, you can always watch it on Law and Crimes YouTube channel.

I'm Anjanette Levy, and we will see you next time.