Law&Crime Sidebar - 6 Most Disturbing Moments From Accused Child Killer Letecia Stauch’s Murder Trial

Episode Date: April 10, 2023

Colorado stepmom, Letecia Stauch, is currently on trial for the murder of her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch. Letecia is accused of shooting and stabbing Gannon to death, stuffing his body in a suitcase, driving to Florida and dumping his body under a bridge. The Law&Crime Network’s Angenette Levy reveals the most disturbing moments from the murder trial so far. PLEASE SUPPORT THE SHOW:Save 10% on your entire POM Pepper Spray order by using code LAWCRIME10 at http://bit.ly/3IGNFxvLAW&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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will keep you on the edge of your seat. Don't let your fears take hold of you as you dive into this addictive series. Love thrillers with a paranormal twist? The entire Oracle trilogy is available on Audible. Listen now on Audible. Because we got to get it fixed, so lady, don't be mad at us and kick aside the house. Okay? You got it? You got it? I didn't. I didn't worry about my first. Okay, listen, listen, listen. A recording, Letitia Stalk made with her stepson, Gannon, hours before she brutally killed him. It's just one of the many disturbing moments from her murder trial so far.

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Just log on to palmpeper spray.com and put in the code law crime 10. And remember, if you or anyone else is ever in danger, call 911. I'm Ann Jeanette Levy and welcome to Law and Crime Sidebar podcast. Letitia Stalk claims that she was insane back in January of 2020 when she murdered Gannon Stalk, her 11-year-old stepson. The question isn't whether or not Lettisha actually killed Gannon. We know that she did. It's whether or not she knew right from wrong at the time that it happened.

And prosecutors say that she did. Prosecutors say on January 27, 2020, Latisha Stalk attacked Gannon in his bedroom. They were living in El Paso County, Colorado. that's the Colorado Springs area. Investigators claimed they found blood on Gannon's mattress, walls and floors, as well as in Stalk's vehicle. Deputies believed that Stalk acted suspiciously when the child was first reported missing. She allegedly told them that Gannon went to play at a friend's house, but she couldn't tell them the name of the friend or where he lived. On January 29, 2020, Stalk allegedly claimed to investigators that a man named Eduardo raped her

and kidnapped Gannon. Deputies didn't really buy the story and claim that she never called 911 to report the rape or kidnapping and that Letitia wasn't interested in collecting evidence against her alleged attacker. During a preliminary hearing in September 2021, investigators revealed Stalk rented a budget rental van and information was gleaned from a cell phone in early February 2020. In court testimony, data collected revealed the van traveled from Colorado to Florida. Gannon Stalk's remains were found stuffed inside of a suitcase under a bridge in northwestern Florida in March 2020, about six weeks after Letitia Stalk's trip to the area. An autopsy showed Gannon had been shot and stabbed, and he had defensive wounds on his hands.

In February 2022, Letitia Stalk changed her plea to not guilty by reason of insanity. This pushed back the trial by an entire year so both sides could prepare for this defense. Stalk's trial started on April 3rd. Here's prosecutor Michael J. Allen, describing in his opening statement how he says Stalk took deliberate actions that proved that she was not insane at the time of the murder. Tell numerous stories to investigators to manipulate the course of the investigation. And finally, to discard Gannon inside that suitcase off of a Florida bridge like garbage. January 27, 2020, Gannon's home located at 6-627, Man Dan Drive, here in Colorado Springs, Colorado, turned into the stuff of nightmares. In fact, the one place a little boy like Gannon should have felt the safest, his bedroom, turned into, like I said, the stuff of nightmares.

That bedroom is, in fact, where he was brutally murdered. The defendant attacked him vifously, mercilessly, deliberately, and intentionally. These are exhibits that you'll see from the doctor down in Florida, Dr. Ignacio, when she performed the autopsy. He'll tell you that Gannon suffered 18 stab wounds to his body, his chest, his back, his head, and most importantly, his arms and his hands. Why is that important? Gannon was fighting for his life and those were defensive wounds.

Next came a crushing blow to his head that was so strong, it fractured his skull like an egg shell. That wasn't enough for this defendant. He retrieved a nine millimeter handgun. Fired it again three times. Two bullets struck the pillow near him and were caught in the fibers of that pillow. That third bullet entered his jaw, traveled through his head, fracturing his mandible, his vertebrae, hitting his spinal cord and lodged in the back of his head and was recovered his autopsy. Alan went on to describe how he says Letitia Stouk took steps to destroy evidence. There were no obvious signs of a struggle or a murder because the defendant

had cleaned them up. And also realized she had gained his blood on her person. clothes that she was wearing, likely containing Gannon's blood based off of how much blood had hit the walls were never found. Her clothing was never found. After the prosecution made its opening statement, it was the defense's turn. Letitia Stouk's defense attorney, Will Cook, said that he doesn't deny that Letitia Stouk killed Gannon. He said that a psychotic break led to it. And the axe Putting in its body in a suitcase and traveling 1,300 miles. Pull the floor and throwing the suitcase, the cannon's body in it.

I'd have been overpassed. Different stories she told. She was raped by somebody. person who raped her, kidnapped her, kidnapped Gannon. Hear all the stories. The prosecution's going to play it for you. These are all signs and evidence of a mind,

a soul that is broken. most fundamental and profound way. So broken, doesn't even know what it was doing. What was going through that person's head? Gannon's head. out's head all the stab wounds the shootings the bruisesings the bruises the beatings the beatings the burns what was going through that person's head i don't know i don't know

I couldn't tell you. Were the person that she was killing that day, attacking. I wasn't Gannon. It wasn't Gannon to her. Wake up that day and go, I'm going to kill. No. She was killing the demons, her life from the dark depths of her childhood and her life. One of the most heartbreaking parts of this trial was listening to the testimony of Al Stalk,

that's Gannon's father. He served in the National Guard. Imagine leaving your son with your wife, someone you trust to take care of him, and not having a worry in the world that something. thing bad might happen. Let's talk about Gannon's relationship with the defendant. How would you describe that relationship? Trusting. I'm comfortable saying I think he had love in his heart for her. I don't think he was afraid of her any fear for her. One of the things about Gannon that is special, and I think it's special about a lot of young boys. He absolutely loved his mom. And he had some of that same love for Tisha, too. So he was a mama's boy. He was, absolutely.

How was, I guess, who would discipline the kids? And when I say the kids, I'm talking about the little ones, so Lena and Gannon. Both of us, both myself and the defendant. Al Stalk then testified about when he realized that his wife, Letitia, 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, on those videos from your house and never returning? I did not, no, sir. Okay. So back to the- So, 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. The jury then heard a recording of a conversation that Al Stalk made when he was talking to Letitia. And I want you to know that no matter what, no matter what, we can work through this together and I can help you, okay? But you just got to let me help you.

But I have a very, you told me to be straight up. I got a very straight up question, okay? Are you ready? Yeah. Did you kill Gannon? No. I need to know. I need you to answer me.

Yes or no right now. I killed Gannon. The answer is no. I can't believe you ask me this. I just got to know you. I told me to be straight up. I got to know what's happening to my son. Tell me why you would think I killed Gannon. There's a lot of unknowns. I mean, being straight up again, you change your story again to me for the fourth time. No, I changed my story. You did. This is the fourth version of the same story. Okay. Like half of what you told me today

Cut foot And now he's got burned arms And picking it And his butts bleeding All this stuff is New to what you told me The other day And the other day you told me

You cleaned up the area Where you got raped So nobody would see it But now you told me You just changed clothes I just don't know What the hell is going on I didn't tell you

First off You never even listen to me About anything that went on I did No you stop Because I listened to you I listened to you And then I went

And got the guns they put them in the truck, and then I came back and me and Lane didn't listen to you. Then I stopped and picked your story apart. So get it straight, Tisha. I listened to you and I said, if I'm wrong about the rape, I will get on my knees and beg you for forgiveness. Did I not say that? Yeah, but you haven't. Exactly, because I haven't been proven wrong yet.

I want the truth. If I'm wrong, if the police, no matter what they're doing, the FBI, the CBI, the CBS, whoever, okay, if they tell me I'm wrong, I will publicly in front of the world get on a camera and tell you I'm sorry. But until that happens, we're going to find the truth. How can you tell me that someone didn't come? I don't understand. How can you tell me that someone didn't do something to hurt me and take in it? I'm not telling you that.

I'm telling you it hasn't been proven one way or the other. You said you banged your head on the freaking table. Now I've got to tell them to go check out the table and see if there's any blood or any of your... Do you that. Okay, but that's the first I heard of it. You see what, you see what I'm saying? You never were told to me. You literally just sat here in a conversation and ask me, did I kill our child? Yes, I did because I, because if you say no, then I can't, I'll stop thinking that you did it. Okay. Letitia then told Al that she would need

immunity in order to tell him what happened to Gannon. It hurt me to ask it because you're my wife and you know I first thing I started with today was happy Valentine's Day that should tell you how I feel about you okay but I need you to be here I am I'm right here I'm right here I'm begging you give me immunity I will help okay but I so here okay but that's why I'm here I'm trying to under I you know I'm not you you have the legal background okay I don't have that knowledge all I have is my recruiting time and the other stuff I've done so you need to help me understand what you're

trying to get I don't understand what that means other than what I've seen on TV shows I don't know I need you to help me that's what I'm trying to I mean help me to get you to that point hello is that they're going to grant, I'm a judge, that I would not be charged anything in this. Because I didn't have anything to do with this. Every time that I would testify and I would give them the information of who I did and I would testify it. Okay. So you're saying, so, so, so I'm going to walk back through this so I understand clearly what you're saying.

So there's no, no ambiguity or unknowns here. So you're saying you, somehow. know where again it is or who has him or how he got him or something like that I'm not I'm trying to understand Tisha I'm not I'm explaining me okay walk me through it so I understand what you're saying no why would I record you this is me and you I mean why would I say happy Valentine's Day on a recording that's something personal between us you and it's just you and me on this don't call and in your Absolutely.

Okay. Inanity is where I'm telling you, I told you the truth about what you can't. There's more details about how that went on. There's more details that I can't discuss that would incriminate myself because they're going to say, why did you say this? But they have, he has all our information. He was starting to go to work and get to work and have these people go there. If I did not, if I said anything in the meeting with the cops, I would wait to the meeting.

But I need immunity. So you... So, why, what I don't understand is why, babe, is this not something you would tell me from the get-go? I just... Everything. I'm going to kill my daughter. They were going to kill me. They know you were at everybody.

They would do everything. Yeah, but Tisha, but look, but look, look at what you, but look at just, look at what you just said. There was testimony from a man named Macon Ponder. He testified about participating in a search for Gannon Stelke's remains in Florida. He found a suitcase and described what he found inside. when he opened it. Did you open it?

Yes, sir. Tell us about that. I was the first one to unzip it, and before we opened it, as soon as we unzipped it, we immediately noticed the smell. That's what hit us first. And finally, an autopsy conducted on Gannon's remains

revealed that he died as a result of homicide, his cause of death, a gunshot wound to the head, and trauma, blunt force trauma to the head. Toxicology testing revealed that Gannon had acetaminopin in his system at the time that he died. That's not unusual. That's essentially Tylenol.

But what was unusual was the test results showed that he had the presence of an opioid in his system. What about what other things did you find in, in Gannon's bodily tissues? He also had hydrocodone in the liver tissue. All right. let's talk about hydrocodone. What is hydrocodone? Hydrocodone is a narcotic, analgesic. It's a drug used for pain, and that is also found in cough medications because it's supposed to suppress your cough. Is hydrocodone a controlled substance? Yes, you need a prescription for that. So I can't just go to Walgreens without a prescription and buy hydrocodone. Yes.

Is it indicated as highly addictive? Yes, you can be dependent on it. What are the effects of hydrocodone on a human? Depending on the dosage, you can initially become drowsy, lightheaded, dizziness, and if you take a higher dose, it could lead to respiratory depression or you'll have problems breathing, you'll have lethargy, coma and eventually death. Was it unusual, in your opinion, to find hydrocodone in a child of 11 years old like we did here in Gannon's death?

Yes, I found it unusual. And that's it for this edition of Law and Crime's 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 Ann Janette Levy, and we will see you next time.