At a press conference held Monday afternoon, the El Paso County Sheriff's Office confirmed Letecia Stauch, Gannon's stepmother, was taken into custody in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. They are waiting to extradite her to Colorado for the following charges: first-degree murder by a person in the position of trust, child abuse resulting in death, tampering with a deceased body and tampering with physical evidence.
"We will not stop and this investigation has only begun," a spokesperson with the sheriff's office said.
The arrest of Gannon's stepmother was a result of thousands of hours spent in the investigation and searching for Gannon, who investigators said they do not believe is alive. The sheriff's office said they have not found Gannon and will continue investigation efforts.
An agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Denver says the case will be worked on aggressively and worked through the end. The FBI will continue to work with local agencies to "see this through to the end." The agent said at Monday's press conference that Gannon's disappearance indicates "foul play."
The lead prosecutor going forward in this case said tips are encouraged to help bring Gannon home and to help with build the case against Letecia Stauch.
Gannon's mother, Landen Hiott, told those at the press conference that Gannon is not gone and that he is with us. She said she is "astounded" by the amount of support and love from the community.
"Never thought I'd be standing here," Gannon's mother said tearfully. "This is a nightmare. I've had to put trust in the people I don't know. Today I got the worst news and the best news. Obviously we know what the worst news is, but the best news is that justice will be served."
https://www.koaa.com/news/covering-colorado/spokesperson-with-gannon-stauch-family-confirms-stepmother-arrested
