Officials in Colorado this afternoon announced that human remains found in Florida have been ‘tentatively identified’ as 11-year-old Gannon Stauch.
The boy went missing from the Colorado Springs area on January 27.
Stauch’s stepmother, Letecia Stauch, 36, earlier this month was booked into the El Pasp County jail on counts of first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, tampering with a deceased human body and tampering with evidence.
The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said they were contacted by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office in Florida on Wednesday about the remains of a boy recovered in Pace, north of Pensacola.
Boy’s remains found in Florida have been tentatively identified as belonging to 11-year-old Colorado boy Gannon Stauch. His stepmother, Letecia Stauch (right), has been charged with his murder
Letecia Stauch makes her first appearance in El Paso County District Court in Colorado Springs, Colo., Wednesday, March 11
The District One Medical Examiner performed an autopsy, which led to today’s announcement.
‘We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to the friends and family of Gannon,’ a press release from the sheriff’s office stated.
Letecia Stauch was arrested in South Carolina on March 2 and was later extradited back to Colorado to face charges of murder of a child under 12 years of age by a person in a position of trust, child abuse resulting in death and tampering with a dead body.
She originally told authorities that she last saw her stepson between 3.15pm and 4pm on January 27. She said at the time that he was heading to a friend’s house in Colorado Springs.
Gannon was originally categorized as a runaway, before his case was upgraded to that of a missing/endangered person.
But on the day of Letecia’s arrest in South Carolina, police announced they no longer think he is alive.
Police have not yet laid out their theory on what happened to him or where they believe he is.
Gannon’s father Albert released a statement at the time to say he was shocked by the news.
‘My little boy is not coming home. We will never play Nintendo again. No more taco Tuesdays. No more smooth-looking hair cuts. And no more G-man for the world.
‘The person who committed this heinous, horrible crime is one that I gave more to anyone else on this planet, and that is a burden that I will carry with me for a very long time,’ it read.
Surveillance video from a neighbor’s home captured Stauch leaving the home with Gannon in her pickup truck at around 10.13am on January 27.
However, when she returned at 2.19pm, Gannon is nowhere to be seen.
Footage from 2.19pm to the time Gannon was reportedly last seen is not available, but the sheriff’s office said earlier that officers had no surveillance video showing the boy leaving the property.
After he watched the video, a friend said the boy’s father ‘just broke down and started saying ‘she lied, she lied about the time.’
In an interview before her arrest, Letecia insisted she had nothing to do with the boy’s disappearance or death.
‘After news of the video broke, Stauch gave an interview to KKTV, insisting that she played no part in her stepson’s disappearance.
‘I took care of Gannon for the last two years in our home because his mother didn’t want to do it,’ she said.
Surveillance footage shared by a neighbor allegedly shows Gannon entering a car with his stepmother that morning but not returning with her that afternoon (pictured). However, when she returned at 2.19pm, Gannon is nowhere to be seen
Gannon’s devastated mother Landen Hoitt at a press conference on the day of Letecia’s arrest on March 2
‘I would never ever, ever hurt this child… these people have these conspiracy theories… I’m like: “Why are you saying Gannon is dead?” He is not dead. We are going to find Gannon.’
During Letecia’s initial court appearance in El Paso County on March 11, prosecutors said they have not ruled out the possibility of pursuing the death penalty against her.
The stepmother is due back in court for a status conference on April 14.