COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – Letecia Stauch is appealing her 2023 conviction, when an El Paso County jury found her guilty of murder in the death of stepson, 11-year-old Gannon Stauch.
Click here for a timeline and further background on the case.
The Colorado Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in Stauch’s appeal on Jan. 27.
Eric Samler is an attorney representing Stauch in her appeal. Samler says a juror in Stauch’s trial had a son-in-law who worked for the 4th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the same office the prosecuted the case. Samler argues that juror sat on the panel despite Stauch’s trial defense team challenging the juror, saying this should lead to a “reversal” of her conviction.
Senior Assistant Attorney General Katharine Gillespie argued the trial judge never made a ruling regarding the juror in question, and says Stauch’s trial defense team did not challenge that juror correctly under state law.
District Attorney for Colorado’s 23rd Judicial District George Brauchler has no ties to the Stauch case and offered insight as a legal expert.
“Everyone convicted of a felony that gets sent to prison typically appeals, so that’s not a surprise at all. The Court of Appeals does not have to take oral argument on every single one of these appeals. They chose to do it here,” Brauchler said. “I think that the current case law that exists weighs in favor of the fact that the defense does not have to exercise a peremptory challenge to strike a statutory cause removal of a juror … I think it puts in peril the conviction in this case, which would be a huge tragedy for all involved.”
While Brauchler says Stauch’s appeal case may have merit, he also says the Court of Appeals is likely considering vast implications it’s opinion could have on future cases in Colorado.
“I don’t think it’s a slam dunk either way,” Brauchler said. “If the Court of Appeals comes back and overturns this case, which [would be] a big, big deal, I think you’re going to see judges across the state probably go the defense way on a lot more cause objections of jurors than they have in the past.”
The Court of Appeals Chief Communications Officer says there is no timeline within which a panel of three judges must issue an opinion by, adding it can take four to five months in “more complex cases.”
Copyright 2026 KKTV. All rights reserved.