The remains of an 11-year-old boy missing from Colorado Springs may have been found in Florida. The El Paso County Sheriff's Office says they were contacted by authorities near Pensacola, Florida on Wednesday about the discovery of a deceased juvenile. An autopsy performed there tentatively identified the remains as those of Gannon Stauch.
His stepmother is now facing 13 total charges, including first-degree murder.
At a press conference, Chief Deputy District Attorney Michael Allen said they believe Gannon’s murder took place in Colorado, as they wouldn’t have jurisdiction to prosecute the case otherwise.
“Please understand that this development does not mean this investigation comes to an end," he said. “It remains a very active investigation.”
Gannon was reported as a runaway by his stepmother, Letecia Stauch, in late January. His status was upgraded to missing and endangered a few days later.
Letecia Stauch was arrested March 2 on charges of suspicion of first-degree murder as well as child abuse resulting in death, among others. At that time, authorities said they believed Gannon to be deceased, despite having not yet found his body.
Letecia Stauch’s current charges include, but aren't limited to, first-degree murder, child abuse, and eight counts of committing a crime of violence. Those charges allege the use of a firearm, a blunt instrument, and a knife or other sharp object in causing Gannon’s death.
“We met with the family earlier today and obviously they’re distraught with this information,” Allen said. “They were still holding out hope that Gannon would come home alive despite the original charges that we filed in this case.”
Letecia Stauch is expected back in court on April 14.
Anyone with information relevant to the case is asked to call the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office tip line at (719) 520-6666 or send an email to [email protected]
