Letecia Stauch's Murder of Stepson 'Most Horrific' Case Judge Has Seen

Judge Gregory Werner of the Colorado 4th Judicial District has said the case of an 11-year-old boy murdered by his stepmother in January 2020 was the "most horrific I have ever seen."

The judge sentenced Letecia Stauch, 39, to life without parole on two counts of murder, according to reports. The Colorado woman was found guilty of her murdering her 11-year-old stepson Gannon and disposing of his body in a suitcase as the case was brought to a close on Monday, according to a Denver7 News report.

Stauch pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the killing that took place on January 27, 2020. The jury rejected this defense and found her guilty on all charges.

Speaking on the severity of the crime ahead of passing the sentence, Werner said "I can, however, say, without hesitation, that the facts in this case are the most horrific I have ever seen. Your conduct within this case demands the maximum punishment that I can impose under Colorado law."

Stauch was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree murder of a child under 12 by someone in a position of trust, tampering with a deceased human body, and tampering with physical evidence.

The judge issued a message to the child's parents, Al Stauch and Landen Hiott (who also goes by the name Landen Bullard): "I cannot fathom the pain Mr. Stauch and Ms. Bullard have experienced as a result of the defendant's actions.

"A sentence in a criminal case, such as this, will not change the fact that their son's life was taken from them and nothing I say or impose will ever change that fact."

Addressing the convict, the judge said: "Ms. Stauch you betrayed the person you loved enough to marry, you told your husband lies and took away someone he loved. You took away every day that Mr. Stauch or Ms. Bullard could have had with their son."

The boy was first reported missing on the same day he was killed in his bedroom, the Denver7 News report said, citing police records which noted the date as January 27, 2020. Stauch told authorities that Gannon had gone to a friend's house but never returned.

She was arrested on March 2, 2020, around three weeks before Gannon's body was discovered in a suitcase by a construction worker on March 18, 2020, in Pace, Florida, underneath a bridge off the side of a highway.

During the trial, prosecutors alleged Stauch shot and stabbed the boy who died of a gunshot wound and skull fracture. She drove his body to an area off Colorado Highway 105 and South Perry Park Road and dumped it before later driving it to Florida, per the news report.

Prosecutors claimed Stauch killed Gannon because she hated him and wanted to hurt her husband, who she planned to leave. During the court case, prosecutors submitted as evidence a search showing "I hate my stepson" on Google by Stauch.

Newsweek has contacted Letecia Stauch's attorney Josh Tolini via his website for comment.