Found Deceased CO - Gannon Stauch, 11, Colorado Springs, Lorson Ranch, El Paso County, 27 Jan 2020 *endangered* #16

[Bellecent]

I was rewatching the video that the neighbor released. Rewinding and pausing, etc. In the beginning of the video, where you see TS. Kind of looks like a man to me?? Looks like a male leaving with GS and a female returning alone! Anyone else notice this? IMO

What about the hat? Was it on when leaving and off when returning home? Was it the norm for the hat? Are you saying.two different people? Could the gate allowed someone to enter through the back?

 

[kaen]

Most of the thread conversations appear to revolve around SM. Just a personal observation here to consider in addition to Tricia's very wise comments about facing the person you are talking about and having to defend those comments. In the Jacob Wetterling case, DR was a named POI by LE. Almost everyone thought odd and private DR was the actor. Threads went on for years here at WS on that case. As it turned out, almost everyone including LE were 100% wrong. I have learned the hard way not to fall into "herd mentality". Just some advice from an old veteran poster. I personally tend to dig at known facts, but that's just the way I'm wired. SM may very well be guilty, but innocent until proven so. MOO

I think you make a great point. With the Wetterling case, we also saw (in retrospect) some errors in the investigation decision tree as the admitted killer had been on their radar. I believe that LE has learned lots from Jacob's case and the multitude of others over the years in relation to POIs.

I have been attempting to depersonalize the step mother in this case. Her behavior makes it easy to see her as the villain and the only one responsible. In cases where mistakes have been made as to who disappeared someone, very often it is unknown who last saw them (leading people to go back to those closest to them). The step mother's words about being the last to see him appear very telling to me (and probably others). It would be very easy to state clearly and without word salad the place and time she last saw him. Then, his movements would most likely be picked up by video in the area he was in. If he went missing while hiking (or out of video surveillance range), stating clearly where and when they were parked and giving a clear description of what happened prior, just prior, and immediately after she lost visuals on him --around the canyon wall, in another aisle in the store or library or whatever. Right now, we have he left the house at some point, don't know the time, and don't know where he was going, and don't know the door he used--- really just he up and disappeared and that is all she knows.

In the Wetterling case, there were kids who last saw him who were interviewed. In Broussard, she was last seen at her son's school so we back track to who might want her disappeared and most (wrongfully) concluded spouse. Step mother says she was last to see him and provides no other explanation about him being gone. She has not yet provided the public (and, very possibly, LE) with another explanation of the 10 am video, the 2 pm non-sighting and how he left the home undetected after 3 pm as far as any of us know. If I am going toward innocent until proven, from what I know the "guilty" proof has lots in its column with very little in the "innocent" column from what I have seen.

Your caution is a good one, IMO. I would love for there to be some major contradiction in what we know about Gannon's last siting. But, we have yet to see anything contradictory. As in the Wetterling case, I would rather have the bad actor in jail than have the wrong actor as what happened to DR was awful. I do see a very different set of circumstances here.

 

[glorybug]

Thank you so much for saying that so well. I like facts. Sure, it can get excruciating to wait to hear updates from LE, but I find waiting for that so much more tolerable than wading through pages and pages of speculation, rumors, negativity, judgment, and fingerpointing before we even have the facts. Focusing on a target to attack and dream up conspiracies while waiting for the facts doesn't really help the family, the victims, or ourselves. What does help when news is slow to trickle in, is to get off the thread and go read up about successful cold cases that have been solved recently. Instead of brooding impatiently or getting the urge to do some unhelpful gossiping, I find that changing gears and reading about a positive delivery of justice, no matter how long it took, lifts my mood. Then I just do some chores and make sure I only check in for news once or twice a day. It really won't kill me if some news comes in and I am not the first one to see in in 5 seconds, lol.

If you're finding yourself getting frustrated, try switching gears and catching up on some of the recent cold case success stories.

Most of the thread conversations appear to revolve around SM. Just a personal observation here to consider in addition to Tricia's very wise comments about facing the person you are talking about and having to defend those comments. In the Jacob Wetterling case, DR was a named POI by LE. Almost everyone thought odd and private DR was the actor. Threads went on for years here at WS on that case. As it turned out, almost everyone including LE were 100% wrong. I have learned the hard way not to fall into "herd mentality". Just some advice from an old veteran poster. I personally tend to dig at known facts, but that's just the way I'm wired. SM may very well be guilty, but innocent until proven so. MOO

 

[SalMAnder]

I've been looking through this off and on this morning to see if anything stands out. I'm only 1/2 awake but I needed something to work with other than the same thing as it was bugging me.

Maybe someone local could tell us if they feel like the current crime for the last month seems normal or it's high. Curious as to why so much happens on Academy. Is it always like that?

Colorado Springs Police Department Blotter

The city is growing quite a bit, and, like I mentioned earlier, it's expensive. Our crime rate is increasing, I'm sure. How could it not tho? A more in-depth analysis over the last many years is provided here (better than the blotter imo):

CSPD Statistical Reports

 

[Frig]

That seems like a lot of driving. Wonder if a gas stop was made?

Interesting point. Assuming she didn't swap with the white car, 20mpg, 60mph, 4hrs, equals 12 gallons? I'm guessing the truck holds way more than 12. Would be very telling if she topped it off on Sat or Sun with just 3 or 4 gallons.

 

[SalMAnder]

DBM

 

[Uninformant]

I don’t think the video that was released and shown by media is the video that made the dad cry and police say it was the break they needed. I think it was released as a distraction to get us all debating it and to get TS distracted trying to figure out how to respond to it. I’m not even sure the video was from Monday. I believe they have more incriminating video and evidence and letting this bit leak bought them time.

 

[MichelleBlue]

IMO Regarding the Heidi Broussard case, I have really tried to take a step back at times and recall how convinced everyone (myself included) was that a completely innocent man (SC) was involved in his wife & infant daughter's disappearance. I do think we can learn from that case. SC gave two admittedly "bad" interviews in which his body language, behaviors, and demeanor seemed "off." He gave many details about certain times of the day, then glossed over other time periods. He never accounted publicly for a large chunk of the day on which she went missing. They had a rocky (on & off again possibly) relationship. However, guess what? Despite ALL of that, he is completely innocent. So, I do think it is important at times to step back & ask ourselves, "What if?" as it relates to TS. It is a hard pill to swallow & probably not applicable here, but important to keep in mind just in case.

 

[perception≠reality]

Hailey Dunn keeps crossing my mind throughout. They finally found her body and still...Still. LE couldn’t bring charges. Shawn Adkins reminds me of LS.

I don’t know how I haven’t read about that case until now. How absolutely heartbreaking...

 

[GordianKnot]

I also think LE knows he got into that truck to leave and never came back. My latest theory is some sort of extreme punishment, dropping him off somewhere and telling him to make his own way home after he had thought about whatever she was punishing for. I think he may have been injured already.

MOO

BBM:

The reason this particular theory doesn't work for me is that it doesn't fit with her having reported him missing to LE.

If this were some extreme punishment where she dropped him off in a remote location to find his own way home, she wouldn't have alerted police.

Dropping GS off alive somewhere would have been a huge risk, because if found, GS would then be able to recount all the events that transpired leading up to his disappearance.

His disappearance wasn't an extreme punishment.

It was an effort to conceal a crime of violence that had occurred.

The victim of the crime needed to be silenced.

The evidence of the crime needed to be hidden.

That's why GS is missing.

This is all about self-preservation.

JMO.

 

[kpalma71580]

What about the hat? Was it on when leaving and off when returning home? Was it the norm for the hat? Are you saying.two different people? Could the gate allowed someone to enter through the back?

I'm curious about a couple of things. Did she have help? She is definitely involved, no question about it. When leaving, it looks like the individual is wearing a scully with a white hat. When person returns they are carrying the white hat.

This other theory might be a little off, but what if GS passed away from a beating Sunday night and she had her daughter walk to the car that Monday morning to look like GS. Maybe she had him rolled in something and loaded in the truck bed. This may seem a little off, because it definitely does look like a male child getting in the car, but there has been crazy things that happen

 

[Bellecent]

I was thinking about his weight last night as I carried my sleeping 60 lb child from my bed to his. I am in pretty good shape and work out regularly but probably around the same size as SM. Not a big female but not tiny either. I think it would be difficult to carry this amount of dead weight very far, especially over difficult terrain.
With that being said, adrenaline is an amazing thing and who knows what she could do when pumped up to get a job done.

Or using something with rollers.

 

[kittythehare]

Speaking on Noe Road as an outsider - the other day when I was "driving" these roads via google maps, I thought it was definitely the road I would turn down if I wanted to get up to something nefarious. My theory is that she was already familiar with that area - (perhaps she's visited Stone Canyon Outdoor Edventures in the past?) and she recalled that there was a dirt road near there.

I honestly thought it was strange that LE was searching the first location because it's so visible from that main highway. When I think of where I would dispose of a body, I always think - ocean, lake, dirt road.

They're nowhere near an ocean. They probably don't have access to a boat. That leaves me with a dirt road.

JMO

What about heights?
What about anything specific to 4wd vehicles that would have been inaccessible to cars?
Anything at all?
Why did she choose the 4wd for the trip?
Whatever she carried looked like it would have fitted in a car as well.?

 

[MrsWatson]

BBM:

The reason this particular theory doesn't work for me is that it doesn't fit with her having reported him missing to LE.

If this were some extreme punishment where she dropped him off in a remote location to find his own way home, she wouldn't have alerted police.

Dropping GS off alive somewhere would have been a huge risk, because if found, GS would then be able to recount all the events that transpired leading up to his disappearance.

His disappearance wasn't an extreme punishment. It was an effort to conceal a crime of violence that had occurred.

The victim of the crime needed to be silenced.

The evidence of the crime needed to be hidden.

That's why GS is missing.

This is all about self-preservation.

JMO.

All great points, and I can't disagree. I want to paint her as horrible as possible, rather than using plain logic and seeing what is the simplest, most straightforward answer. Which is that she hurt him and dumped him somewhere. End of.

 

[Inthedetails]

Or using something with rollers.

Or two feet.

I think Gannon walked to wherever he is now. Speculation only, not fact.

JustMyOpinion, subject to change

 

[jowens73]

Thank you so much for saying that so well. I like facts. Sure, it can get excruciating to wait to hear updates from LE, but I find waiting for that so much more tolerable than wading through pages and pages of speculation, rumors, negativity, judgment, and fingerpointing before we even have the facts. Focusing on a target to attack and dream up conspiracies while waiting for the facts doesn't really help the family, the victims, or ourselves. What does help when news is slow to trickle in, is to get off the thread and go read up about successful cold cases that have been solved recently. Instead of brooding impatiently or getting the urge to do some unhelpful gossiping, I find that changing gears and reading about a positive delivery of justice, no matter how long it took, lifts my mood. Then I just do some chores and make sure I only check in for news once or twice a day. It really won't kill me if some news comes in and I am not the first one to see in in 5 seconds, lol.

If you're finding yourself getting frustrated, try switching gears and catching up on some of the recent cold case success stories.

IMO- The people on this thread, including myself are desperate for answers... I know I feel helpless and would love to be up there searching for Gannon myself. However this is not possible, therefore I think this forum gives me some sort of satisfaction of at least trying to help in SOME way... and also some bit of comfort Knowing that if all these folks care about this case SO much... I’m sure LE does as well and are doing everything they can.

 

[glorybug]

Not a single one of us has any idea what facts LE knows, and they have no obligation to tell us. Them keeping their facts close to their vests means nothing other than that they are being professional, and hopefully are piecing together all the what, where, who, how, and why of Gannon's disappearance. I sincerely hope that they are carefully detailing and investigating every single speck of facts and evidence and not just "running with their gut". I know they are being careful, and I appreciate that. They do not owe any of us their opinions on any of the aspects we think we know all the "facts" about. I wouldn't even dare to presume I know the facts LE is compiling. That would be massively presumptuous and selfish of me. I am not LE nor am I a private investigator (pretty sure most people here aren't, either). I am perfectly happy to be patient and wait for the experts to do their job and inform us of any details -- when they determine it's time to.

JMO- For me personally, this is the problem with trying to hold back on my feelings that TS is indeed the one responsible for dissapearing Gannon! IF Gannon was abducted, I am almost certain he would have been picked up on camera walking away from his house or somewhere and I'm positive LE would want to show that to the public if they had such evidence as it could only but help the investigation surely!?

 

[kaen]

IMO Regarding the Heidi Broussard case, I have really tried to take a step back at times and recall how convinced everyone (myself included) was that a completely innocent man (SC) was involved in his wife & infant daughter's disappearance. I do think we can learn from that case. SC gave two admittedly "bad" interviews in which his body language, behaviors, and demeanor seemed "off." He gave many details about certain times of the day, then glossed over other time periods. He never accounted publicly for a large chunk of the day on which she went missing. They had a rocky (on & off again possibly) relationship. However, guess what? Despite ALL of that, he is completely innocent. So, I do think it is important at times to step back & ask ourselves, "What if?" as it relates to TS. It is a hard pill to swallow & probably not applicable here, but important to keep in mind just in case.

Interestingly, the public face of this person created doubt about him. IIRC, LE was not excluding him but certainly was not seeing him as the only route to their disappearance. We just didn't know. It seems to me that it is a very good thing for innocent (and, probably, guilty) people to be quiet and only interface with LE.

 

[Seattle1]

"I don't want to wait another day," Hiott said. "He is mommy's little man. If he is not with me, he is hurting."

She said her life was finally getting on track when she got a call that her son was missing. She immediately flew in from South Carolina.

This is the longest time that I have not heard his voice, and the only thing I could do is just keep playing video's back and forth of, 'Mommy, I love you,'" Hiott told ABC News.

She admits she gets emotional and angry when she overhears people speculating on the case. But she said she's doing her best to stay focused despite all of her questions.

"The only thing I can question is like, 'Why? Why Gannon? Because he does not deserve this at all," Hiott said. "I need my boy like, more than air, more than life."

Bubba, if you see this, mommy wants you home," Hiott said. "I know that you want to be home, and I will do anything in this world to make sure that I can get you. You are my hero. You are my baby. And I want you to come home so bad."

She said she wants everyone to know her son's face and added that she won't let his story die until he comes home.
Exclusive: Mother of missing 11-year-old Gannon Stauch pleads with public to help bring her son home

There is no denying this mother's concern and emotion is as raw today as it was on day one.

I believe the interview will be effective as intended -- keep Gannon's name, picture, and story in the news -- and incite an interested party to come out again in expected public statement fashion (or behind her monitored internet). I hope that room is feeling smaller.

MOO

 

[FNG]

IMO Regarding the Heidi Broussard case, I have really tried to take a step back at times and recall how convinced everyone (myself included) was that a completely innocent man (SC) was involved in his wife & infant daughter's disappearance. I do think we can learn from that case. SC gave two admittedly "bad" interviews in which his body language, behaviors, and demeanor seemed "off." ....Despite ALL of that, he is completely innocent.

I was guilty of that thinking as well while following that case.