EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (Scripps News Colorado Springs) — The murder trial of Letecia Stauch, the Colorado woman accused of murdering her stepson, Gannon Stauch, in 2020 continued on Monday as the trial entered its fourth week.
The day began with Jonathan Grusing, a former special agent, taking the stand again. He began testifying on Friday. Grusing testified about his interrogation and interview with Letecia Stauch at the Myrtle Beach Police Department after she was arrested for murder in March 2020.
Grusing testified that Letecia would challenge him on knowing statements about where Gannon was. He said, if he wasn’t correct with his guesses about what happened to Gannon, Letecia would get upset. Grusing said Letecia was reluctant to answer questions and didn’t give him any clues to help find Gannon.
READ MORE: CO v. Letecia Stauch: Stepmother Murder Trial
Grusing talked about the different tactics that he used in the interrogation, including asking questions about the blood in Gannon’s room. “Since she’s not pushing it to anybody else, she’s basically saying it was her,” said Grusing.
Letecia was talking about God during the parts of her interview shown to the courtroom, saying the truth will come out one day and “show the entire world.”
Grusing was heard asking questions over and over about Letecia’s last image of Gannon. Letecia said she saw nothing negative. “Gannon was happy. Gannon is my favorite stepchild, my baby,” said Letecia. Grusing said she never fully answered what her last memory of Gannon was.
Grusing questioned Letecia asking, if she didn’t hurt him, why would it be a problem for her to tell him what her last memory and image of Gannon was? “If she’s saying she’s innocent of this, then the questions that I’m asking should be easy for her to answer,” Grusing testified on the stand.
The video interview ended with Letecia and Grusing walking outside of the room.
Grusing stayed on the stand where he said, “Right outside the door… She said something in a small voice about North Carolina that I couldn’t hear. She said she and I should go to North Carolina. And I asked if Gannon was in North Carolina, and she didn’t answer.”
Grusing testified that Letecia knew where different lines of questioning would go, and what would be damaging for her to answer truthfully. His testimony ended by acknowledging Letecia never changed personalities, talked in a Spanish accent, or wanted to be called other names.
In the cross-examination for Grusing, Will Cook, Letecia’s attorney, asked about Letecia referring to herself in the third person. He said this was not that unusual or odd to him.
On redirect, Grusing testified, “Her not being able to articulate a last image of Gannon was very indicative that the last image was awful. I came away with more of a certainty that something bad happened to Gannon.”
District Attorney Michael Allen said they’ll be calling seven more witnesses to testify as they finish presenting the evidence in their case. Two more witnesses were scheduled to testify on Monday, with three others on Tuesday.
The defense will be calling their witnesses to the stand late this week. Judge Gregory Werner said they’re ahead of schedule and could possibly begin jury instructions on Friday, with the jury reaching a verdict possibly next week.
We’ve learned who a few of the prosecutor’s witnesses are who still have to testify this week:
– FBI Agent Kevin Hoyland
– Dr. Jackie Grimmett with the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo
– Dr. Loandra Torres with the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo
– Dr. Christine Mohr, Larned State Hospital, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services
This story was originally published on April 24, 2023, by KOAA in Colorado Springs, an E.W. Scripps Company.
