Written by: Christina Aliperti

The Disappearance Of Gannon Stauch

On January 27th, 2019, 11-year-old Gannon Stauch was reported missing. According to his stepmother, Leticia “Tee” Stauch, Gannon left their Colorado Springs home at 3:15 p.m. to go to visit a friend. When he didn’t return after 2 hours she became concerned. The timeline of events isn’t perfectly clear but Tee said that the day before, Sunday, January 27th she went on a hike with Gannon and his little sister. Her older daughter, Harley, 17 from a previous relationship did not go with them because she had to work.

After the hike, they ate Burger King and according to Tee, everything was fine. On Monday morning Gannon had some issues with his stomach and Tee kept him home from school. Then at 3:15 p.m. Gannon allegedly left the house to go visit a friend. He left his cell phone and his coat and hasn’t been seen since. Because of a Google search found in his phone; “can my parents find me if my phone is off?”, Gannon was initially classified as a runaway.

Gannon’s dad Albert Stauch was away for military training and he hurried back home when he found out that his son was missing. Gannon’s biological mom Landon Hiott rushed to Colorado Springs and both parents have been united and trying to find their son. During this time there’s lots of speculation and theories as people are watching this play out and praying for Gannon’s safe return.

Tee gives an interview with her back to the camera the entire time. She addresses the rumors and the hatred that she’s receiving from people online that believe she has something to do with Gannon’s disappearance. Tee brings out her 17-year-old daughter Harley to confirm her statements and alternates between calling Harley an innocent child and a military hero. It seems as if she coaches her daughter on what to say to the reporter and then expresses that she can’t wait for Gannon to be found because everyone will owe her an apology including her husband.

Shortly after that, a neighbor releases surveillance footage that shows Tee leaving with Gannon in their vehicle at 10-something in the morning and returning at 2-something in the afternoon. In the video, it doesn’t appear that Gannon returns with her in the car. When Gannon’s dad Albert saw the video he allegedly cried and said that his wife lied to him. All that did was further fuel the speculation, the theories, and the accusations.

People everywhere began demanding answers from Tee. She lashes out several times online, insulting Gannon’s biological mom Landen Hiott. She claims that Gannon was in danger when he was with his mom and that’s the reason why she and her husband have custody of Gannon. However, court papers that Tee herself posted, don’t seem to show that what she says is true. In fact, the court papers seem to imply that both biological parents and the stepmom share custody of Gannon and his sister. Tee also accuses Landen of being involved with Gannon’s disappearance.

Throughout all of this online drama, law enforcement continues searching with the goal of bringing Gannon home. Law enforcement has also stated that they do not believe Gannon was kidnapped and that there is no ongoing danger to the community. The mobile crime scene lab has been at the home multiple times and at one time they were there for approximately 12 hours. Rumors online ran wild and it was speculated that there was blood found somewhere in the home.

This led to a new statement being released by Tee against her attorney’s wishes. In this statement, she has now added on details to what happened in the days before Gannon’s disappearance, stating that he cut himself on Saturday night in the garage while helping her unload the car. This statement leads people online to believe that the rumors of blood found in the home are true. In this last statement, Tee also claimed that law enforcement has been able to verify that Gannon was in the car with her when she returned on Monday afternoon. However, law enforcement has not publically confirmed anything that was said in this most recent statement.

Gannon has been missing for over 3 weeks and there has been no sign of him. Searchers have been looking for any evidence they can find that will lead them to Gannon. They have searched bodies of water and other areas that tips have led them to. But still, no Gannon. The simple fact is, Tee Stauch was the last person to see Gannon alive. Most people following this case are certain that she holds the key to finding Gannon and bringing him home. I personally agree with them.

What do you think? We would love for you to weigh in on this case and tell us what you think. Does Tee Stauch know where Gannon is? Join us on our YouTube channel, Murder By Design, where Colleen and Fancy discuss the details of this case and many others.

For more true crime cases, head on over to our podcast, The Good Wives Guide To True Crime, where we are currently doing a “Coffee On The Good Wives” giveaway!