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DENVER (KDVR) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office announced on Twitter Friday that the remains of Gannon Stauch, the 11-year-old boy who went missing in January, were “tentatively” found in Florida.

The sheriff’s office said it was contacted by the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday stating they responded to a call of a deceased juvenile male in Pace, Florida.

An autopsy was performed by the District One Medical Examiner and the deceased male has been tentatively identified as Gannon Stauch, according to the sheriff’s office.

If anyone saw Letecia Stauch in Pace or Pensacola, Florida during the time frame of February 3-5, 2020, they are asked to call the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office Tip Line at 719-520-6666 or email tips@elpasoco.com.

There is a gag order in effect for this case.

Gannon Stauch had been missing from his Colorado Springs home since Jan. 27.

At the time, Letecia Stauch told authorities Gannon had left home to play at a friend’s home and had not been seen since. On February 12, she issued a statement to FOX31 about the case.

Authorities called him a runaway when it first asked the public for help finding him. But the sheriff’s office announced Jan. 30 that Gannon was considered a missing and endangered child.

Leticia Stauch was arrested on March 2 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Thursday afternoon, the Fourth Judicial District Attorney’s Office requested the original complaint against Letecia Stauch be amended to:

  • Murder in the first degree – after deliberation
  • Murder in the first degree – victim under 12 in a position of trust
  • Child abuse resulting in death
  • Tampering with a deceased human body
  • Tampering with physical evidence
  • Eight counts of crime of violence

The “after deliberation” murder charge and crimes of violence counts are new.

The crimes of violence counts are sentencing enhancers and allege Letecia used a weapon — a firearm, sharp object or blunt object — to kill Gannon.

Prosecutor Michael Allen said Friday afternoon that he believes Gannon was killed in Colorado.

Criminal defense attorney Chris Decker is not associated with the Stauch case but offered his input on the new charges.

“It is not uncommon and not surprising at all that they would file additional counts based on the additional information they found when they recovered the body and they went over it with forensic scientists,” said Decker.

Decker explained the two first-degree murder charges could mean prosecutors have two theories.

“Now that they have recovered a body, they may have forensic findings that have changed their theory and led them to believe this was an intentional, deliberate act,” said Decker.

Allen would not comment Friday on why they filed new charges.

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