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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Charlie Jones

Mum who killed stepson and shoved his body in suitcase texted daughter moments after

The mum convicted of killing her stepson and stuffing his body into a suitcase texted her daughter moments after the gruesome murder.

Letecia Stauch, 39, was convicted on Monday of murdering her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch in El Paso Country, Colorado, US, in January 2020.

In court it was revealed Stauch had sent a number of chilling texts to her daughter following the boy's death, including one telling her: "I have to get an attorney fast."

The murderer's daughter, Harley Hunt, took the witness stand to give testimony against her own mum during the trial.

She described how her mum claimed she was "being set up" and needed legal help.

Gannon Stauch (El Paso County Sheriff's Office)

Stauch reported the boy missing on January 27, 2020, telling police that the 11-year-old had left their home near Colorado Springs but never returned.

She later told investigators, that two men had raped her and abducted Gannon afterwards.

The 12-jury court heard that she had stabbed the boy 18 times in the boy's bedroom before beating him and shooting him in the jaw, "obliterating' the young boy's skull."

Letecia Stauch's booking photo (AP)

She then hid his remains in a remote area before renting a van and driving to Florida to dump the small body under a bridge in Pensacola.

It wasn't found until March 2020.

Prosecutor's claimed Stauch killed the boy because she hated him and wanted to hurt his dad.

In court it was revealed she had googled the phrase "I hate my stepson."

Letecia Stauch appears in El Paso County District Court (AP)

Although her legal defence admitted she did kill the boy, they claimed she was not guilty by reason of insanity but the jurors rejected this.

Stauch was found guilty of first-degree murder, first-degree murder of a child under 12 years old, tampering with a deceased human, and tampering with physical evidence.

Stauch has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Landen Hiott, the murdered boy's biological mum said in court: "I can't say that she ruined my life because that would be some sort of sick victory for her because even through this process, it's been a game to her"

The murdered boy's mum Landen Hiott, center, is comforted by her aunt, Veronica Birkenstock, and Albert Stauch (AP)

CBS News reported she told the court: "Mother to mother, I trusted her with my children."

"She had everyone fooled… When all along she was the one hurting innocent children, breaking my kids, and murdering my son."

The boy's dad also spoke as if directly to his murdered son, saying: "I would never have left you home alone with a murderer and the person who would be the last one to see you alive."

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