A woman found guilty of killing her 11-year-old stepson, whose body she allegedly abandoned inside of a suitcase that was found below a Florida bridge, has had her murder conviction overturned by an appeals court.
The Colorado Court of Appeals sent Letecia Stauch’s case to a lower court for a new trial after the court decided there had been a “biased juror,” after Stauch had appealed her conviction, according to the court’s Thursday, April 2, ruling.
The case stems from January 27, 2020, when Stauch reported her stepson, Gannon Stauch, missing in Colorado, according to prosecutors, KUSA-TV reported. His body was not found until weeks later.
The day she made the missing persons report, prosecutors said Stauch “viciously” and repeatedly stabbed Gannon, struck him in his head and shot him three times, including once in the head, according to the TV station.
Gannon, who was from Colorado Springs, was found dead inside a suitcase in the Florida Panhandle, where investigators discovered Stauch had allegedly visited after she reported him missing, CBS News reported.
A jury later found Stauch, 42, guilty of first-degree murder (after deliberation), first-degree murder (of a child under 12 by one in a position of trust), tampering with a deceased body, and tampering with physical evidence, according to the appeals court.
She had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, citing a dissociative identity order, the court noted in its April 2 ruling.
After the jury returned guilty verdicts against Stauch, she was sentenced to “life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, plus two consecutive sentences for the two tampering convictions,” the ruling says.
The one juror at her trial was found to be biased by the appeals court because he had a son-in-law who worked for the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office during the trial, according to the ruling.
The district attorney’s office prosecuted Stauch’s case.
One of Stauch’s defense attorneys Josh Tolini told KDVR-TV that it is likely they will pursue an insanity defense again.
“All she had ever wanted was her day in court with a fair and impartial jury, and hopefully we’ll get it this time,” Tolini said of Stauch while speaking with the TV station.
Following the reversal of Stauch’s murder conviction, her ex-husband, Al Stauch, who is Gannon’s father, spoke out.
“After hearing the news today about the decision by the court of appeals, I am truly torn by the emotions of potentially having to repeat this process,” Al told CBS News. “My resolve, however, has never been greater, my desire for justice has never wavered, and most importantly, my love for Gannon will never fail. I am reminded daily that Gannon is standing next to God in Heaven and together looking down on all of us.”
