This is the Day 16 of 20 trial report of the murder trial of Letecia Stauch, accused of murdering her stepson Gannon Stauch however she pled not guilty by reason of insanity claiming multiple personalities compelled her to kill her stepson. A jury of her peers convicted her of all counts!
Case Report
Factual background:
On January 27, 2020, while Gannon’s father was away on National Guard deployment, Letecia Stauch killed Gannon in his bedroom.
Stauch entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. The defense’s sole expert witness, psychiatrist Dr. Dorothy Otnow Lewis, testified that severe, suppressed childhood trauma had caused Stauch to suffer a severe “psychotic crack” and develop Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). The defense argued that an alter persona named “Maria” was entirely in control during the offense.
Blood spatter was recovered from the bedroom walls, baseboards, and floor area. Blood loss was extensive enough to soak completely through the mattress, carpet, and carpet padding, leaving deep stains on the structural concrete underneath the bed.
On March 17, 2020, a bridge maintenance worker discovered the suitcase discarded beneath the Escambia Bay Bridge in Pace, Florida.
Stauch dismantled her cell phone’s connection to the network for extended intervals, utilized GPS-evasion methods, and was eventually arrested on March 2, 2020, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Criminal complaint:
CHARGES:
1. 1st Degree Murder – Guilty – decided on 8th May 2023
2. Tampering with physical evidence – Guilty – decided on 8th May 2023
3. Tampering with a deceased human body – Guilty – decided on 8th May 2023
Victim(s): Gannon Stauch
Date Of Murder: TBC
Killing Incident Reported: TBC
Courthouse: El Paso County District Court, Colorado
Officers of the court
Judge:
Attorneys
Prosecution:
ADA Michael Allen
ADA Angelina Gratiano
Dave Young
Defence:
Josh Tillini
Will Cook
CO v. Letecia Stauch – Day 16 Trial Summary
Day 16 (28 April 2023) of the proceedings featured the continued expert testimony of forensic psychologist Dr. Loandra Torres, focusing on the diagnostic validation of the defendant’s mental state. The prosecution presented the seventh and eighth video recordings of clinical interviews, during which the defendant offered shifting accounts of the crime, including claims of a “hiding challenge,” an alter persona named “Maria” taking control to negate criminal intent, and relocating the body for a supernatural resurrection with the assistance of Dakota Lowry. Dr. Torres systematically challenged these assertions, pointing out a total lack of external historical corroboration for Dissociative Identity Disorder, an absence of linguistic proof for her alters, and a failure to meet baseline diagnostic thresholds. Ultimately, Dr. Torres provided her expert conclusion that the defendant was legally sane at the time of the crime.
Witness-by-Witness Summaries
Continuation – Dr. Loandra Torres – Forensic Psychologist
Key summaries (Click arrow for more)
Connection to the case
Assigned as a state forensic psychologist tasked with administering structured diagnostic testing, conducting clinical interviews, and analyzing video records to assess sanity and symptom validity.
Summary Of Testimony
Dr. Torres refuted these claims, testifying that she observed no recorded phone calls where the defendant used these languages and noting that genuine dissociative individuals are typically unaware of impending personality shifts. She explained that the high level of overlapping knowledge between the alters suggested symptom feigning, and stated that a complete lack of childhood or adolescent documentation meant her diagnostic claims were entirely uncorroborated
Key evidence introduced!
- Nothing Of Note.
Full report below!
Sources:
Letecia Stauch Trial, The Trial Channel, Youtube Channel, Playlist, Available Online: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLq-6my_qlf-Lt1H2__FclEoRjE8_R0ls
