Letecia Stauch’s lawyers use coronavirus to try to DELAY murder case hearings as she claims she didn’t kill stepson
LETECIA Stauch's lawyers are trying to delay two hearings in case concerning murder charges in her stepson Gannon's death.
Court documents reveal that Stauch's defense team has requested to delay court dates scheduled for June 5 and 8, 2020, as she claims she did not beat her .
Her team has said that due to visitation restrictions that were imposed at Springs Criminal Justice Center, they have not been able to meet with Letecia to discuss evidence in her case, according to court documents.
Letecia, 36, is currently facing two counts of First Degree Murder over the death of 11-year-old .
Gannon was hours before he was reported missing on January 27, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Sun.
Authorities shortly before 2pm that day, and then cleaned up the murder scene in his bedroom, the affidavit filed by a detective in the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department states.
She has denied the allegations, and is held in the Colorado Springs Criminal Justice Center without bond.
Letecia's defense has argued that they are unable to properly prepare for the hearings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Her lawyers claim travel restrictions amid the pandemic have "prohibited the defense from investigating this case."
Court documents state that from March 11 to May 4, lawyers were allowed to meet with Letecia via video " for one to two hours at a time, approximately three to four days per week."
Beginning May 4, however, "for reasons that are unclear to the defense, the Colorado Springs Justice Center suddenly stopped allowing video visitation for professional visits to inmates," the documents state.
Her lawyers argue they have not spoken with Letecia since April 30 – although a new policy that does not allow video visits and limiting in-person visits was not put into place formally until May 6, the documents claim.
In another motion filed on Monday, Letecia's lawyers requested video visitations, reported.
If video visitations are not granted, the defense team has requested Stauch be released on bond.
"The investigation surrounding the allegations in this case span across the state of Colorado and across the country to South Carolina and Florida," documents filed on May 12 state.
The documents added: "Defense investigators cannot conduct in person interviews with witnesses, nor is it safe for investigators to go to locations of interest to the case, or visit schools, churches, or businesses to interview witnesses and retrieve records due to the Stay at Home Orders still in place throughout the state and the country."
Letecia's team also said they have not received the autopsy report.
Her team added that social distancing guidelines "will make it impossible" for Letecia "to ask question of her attorneys in confidence or assist in her defense throughout the hearing."
The document continued, arguing that the requirement for people to wear face masks in court "will limit effective cross examination because the faces of everyone in the courtroom will be obscured."
Her lawyers requested the hearings be pushed back to a later date when the points outlined could be met.
Cops said , where authorities found blood.
An arrest affidavit said in Gannon's room, there was "blood spatter on the walls and enough blood loss to stain his mattress, soak through the carpet, the carpet pad and stain the concrete below his bed."
Stauch was accused of disposing of Gannon's body in Douglas County before he was reported missing.
She has denied the allegations.
Police found Gannon's body in , thousands of miles from where they believe he was murdered.
There have been no reports of how Gannon's body may have ended up in Florida.
Stauch was arrested in in March and now faces murder charges in Gannon's death.
Cops have also accused her of lying "on multiple occasions" in relation to Gannon's disappearance, an affidavit said.
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Letecia in a recent interview with CrimeOnline from the El Paso County Jail in Colorado Springs.
She said her life has been turned upside down.
“I’m not trying to knock anyone that’s been in war or anything like that, but people handle situations differently," she told CrimeOnline.