A WOMAN accused of bludgeoning her 11-year-old stepson to death in his bedroom has begged for mercy because she’s allegedly “fighting for (her) life” in jail.
Letecia Stauch, 37, was arrested on March 2 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and charged with murder in connection to Gannon Stauch’s death. The young boy’s remains were found in Florida later that month.
She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
In a four-page letter addressed to the judge presiding over her case and dated August 12, Stauch claimed her “life was on the line” because she is “subjected to the cruel punishment” behind bars.
“Over 15 plus times I have been abused in transport ranging from injured ribs, knot on my head, several ankles + wrist bleeding [sic], bruising on my knee in my cell, loss of feeling in my hands several times, I’ve had to be on Ensure 2 weeks due to the poison comments and just recently on 8/11/2020 I received threats in my peanut butter because I provided evidence of not only my innocence but the evidence that will show who it was through my PI,” she said in the handwritten document obtained by The Sun.
“As a result of this, I assume, their runners use people in trusted positions in jail to send me threats in my food and I’m terrified of what will happen next.
“I’m innocent and I’m ready to return home and use the doctorate degree that I worked diligently for.”
Stauch complained that she has not been able to meet in-person with her legal counsel in five months. In May, her lawyers asked a judge to allow video conferencing or for Stauch to be released on bond.
Stauch said she is concerned about someone poisoning her meals.
“I live each day not knowing what will happen to me next, what person will put something else in my food, what rights I’ll be denied tomorrow or what injuries will occur next. I support law enforcement, I support our military, our country and I know that a few bad apples/incidents can ruin it for good people,” she wrote.
“I’m fighting for my life daily.”
Stauch, 37, reported Gannon missing on January 27, claiming he disappeared after leaving the family’s Lorson Ranch home in Colorado to walk to a friend’s house. Authorities say she concocted the story after killing the child in his bedroom and hiding his remains.
Investigators said they found evidence that a “violent event” occurred in the child’s bedroom.
According to the affidavit obtained by The Sun, it was a violent crime, and there was “blood spatter on the walls and enough blood loss to stain his mattress, soak through the carpet, the carpet pad and stain the concrete below his bed.”
The affidavit states that Stauch then ordered Gannon’s younger sister Laina to play outside when she returned from school a short time later.
When Letecia’s own daughter returned home that day, she sent her to the Dollar Store, according to court papers. the affidavit.
Once there, Leticia texted her daughter Harley asking for “carpet cleaner, trash bags and baking soda”.
There is no suggestion that either sister knew what had happened to their brother at the time.
Gannon’s father, Al Stauch, was out of town for National Guard training when his son was killed.
Stauch maintained her innocence in the letter.
“Again, this is just the surface of my concerns and asked (sic) that something be done so I can get this behind me, move past this trial in life, forgive those who persecuted and afflicted me, continue to be a soldier for Christ, and repair my mental state and most importantly… grieve,” she wrote.
In June, Stauch was ordered to undergo a mental evaluation after allegedly plotting to escape from jail. She was then slapped with additional charges including solicitation to commit escape from the county jail, with prosecutors saying she offered a fellow inmate up to $75,000 to help facilitate it. Stauch had planned to break a window in her cell and climb out, prosecutors allege.
“I understand this pandemic is unforeseen but I don’t feel I should be held unconstitutionally, denied access to my attorneys, have constitutional rights violated, and be abused in the process,” Stauch wrote.
She says she cannot properly participate in her defense because she is limited to three one-hour phone calls with her attorneys each week.
“I do not feel like a U.S. citizen being treated this way in my beloved country. I’m not getting a fair process, I’m not getting represented properly and I’ll give the benefit of the doubt of a pandemic but the other unjust treatment is not the way that our founding fathers intended this process to go,” Stauch wrote.
El Paso County sheriff’s spokeswoman Jacqueline Kirby said she was unaware of Stauch’s letter and would look into the claims, The Gazette reports. Kirby couldn’t say whether Stauch has lodged formal complaints about her treatment at the jail.
Gannon’s biological mother Landen Hiott gave a heartbreaking speech following the arrest of the defendant.
“I’ve heard stories of people that have not prayed in years, and have finally fell on their knees to pray,” she said in March.
“I know where my son’s at without a shadow of a doubt. So many families have been brought closer together because of this. I know my boy is special and I’ve told my people and my family and friends that Gannon has a testimony. That Gannon has a story. He’s special. And this is his story.”
