COLORADO SPRINGS (Scripps News Colorado Springs) —Testimony in the Letecia Stauch murder trial resumed on Tuesday with emotional testimony from her half-brother who recalled a heavy suitcase when helping her load a truck.
Stauch is accused of killing her stepson Gannon in 2020, reporting him as missing, and later dumping the body in a suitcase along the side of a road in Florida. Stauch has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in this case.
The murder trial of Letecia Stauch continues Tuesday, April 11, 2023 in Colorado Springs. (El Paso County Combined Courts)
READ MORE: CO v. Letecia Stauch: Daily Trial Updates
Before beginning his testimony Stauch’s half-brother Dakota Lowery yelled “Why Letecia?!” He was very emotional, with tears in his eyes.
Lowery admitted he did not want to testify in the case, but was in Colorado due to a subpoena to appear as a witness.
Lowery testified saying he flew to Colorado on January 30 to meet up with Letecia and her daughter, Harley. He said, “We felt like she was being wrongly accused for something we thought she’d never do… We also wanted to come out here and look for him,” referring to Gannon.
Lowery talked about them staying at a hotel, renting a van, and then on January 31, helping to move items belonging to Letecia and Harley out of the Stauch home.
He said police officers were at the Stauch home, and they were keeping a close eye on things being brought out of the home. He shared being “just aggravated, because I feel like we was getting looked at as criminals… They were looking at the whole family.”
(L) Gannon Stauch, (R) Letecia Stauch (NCMEC/El Paso County SO)
Lowery said, “she (Letecia) was ready to leave. I thought it was to South Carolina.” Lowery also said they never ended up searching for Gannon when they were in Colorado Springs because they felt like they weren’t being treated fairly by people and the police.
On February 1, 2020, Lowery said he and Letecia rented another van, and unloaded suitcases from the other van, and into the newly-rented van. Lowery testified saying he saw Letecia moving and carrying one suitcase that looked heavy.
Lowery said when he saw the heavy suitcase, “I didn’t feel right about it.” Lowery said he asked Letecia what was in the suitcase, and she said softballs.
A photo of the suitcase that Gannon’s body was found in was then shown in the courtroom. Lowery, very emotional, said that’s the suitcase that Letecia was struggling with, that he didn’t feel right about.
Lowery said he was ready to go home after that, and he said that was the last time he saw Letecia until today. When asked if Letecia knew right from wrong, Lowery said he thought she did, and that she was too smart.
When asked, what he thought about Letecia pleading not guilty by reason if insanity, Lowery said, “When everything first happened and we found out about the body, and we found out where we was found, at that point, I knew she did it…”
Lowery continued, “Yea, I thought she might’ve snapped and went crazy, but now, no.”
Lowery when asked about the not guilty by reason of insanity plea: “I believe that was the only way she did it at that time.” Prosecutors: “Did what?” Lowery: “That’s what we’re here for.”
This story was originally published April 11 by KOAA in Colorado Springs, an E.W. Scripps Company.
