Florida - 1400 miles away from his home in Colorado Springs, the remains of the 11-year-old missing Gannon Stauch were found beneath a bridge in the area.
Working around area U.S. 90 and the Escambia River Bridge in Pace, FL, the Department of Transportation road crew found the remains and immediately called the sheriff's office to report the found corpse as shared by Sgt. Rich Aloy of the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office in Florida.
He also mentioned that they are continuing the investigation on how the body got to Florida, who brought it and how long it had been there in the area for based on Aloy he did not if Florida authorities had been advised to look out for Gannon in that state.
In the Florida panhandle, Pace is about 15 miles north of Pensacola and almost 1,400 miles away from Gannon's home and about 700 miles from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where suspect Letecia Stauch was arrested.
After receiving the information about the body's discovery on Wednesday, El Paso County Investigators run an autopsy resulting to the confirmation that it is Gannon's body as mentioned in the news release of the El Paso County Sheriff's Office but a spokesman for the District 1 Coroner's Office in Florida could not be contacted for any comment.
Prosecution files nine more charges against Gannon's Stepmother
Accused of killing the 11-year-old boy, Letecia Stauch boy's stepmother received additional nine charges from prosecutors in Colorado's 4th Judicial District after the discovery of the corpse.
The new charges against Letecia Stauch include one count of first-degree murder after deliberation and eight counts of committing a crime of violence, according to an amended complaint filed in El Paso County District Court. The crimes of violence are sentence enhancers, which would be used to increase any punishment Stauch would receive if she is found guilty of the charges. The penalty for first-degree murder is life in prison without parole.
As per Michael Allen, Senior deputy district attorney the crimes-of-violence charges accuse Gannon's stepmother of using a gun, a knife and a blunt force instrument resulting to the boy's death however Lee Richards said the spokeswoman of district attorney their office cannot elaborate whether she used all weapons as an instrument in the case.
El Paso County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jacqueline Kirby said she could not answer any information about the discovery of the corpse for there is a gag order in place for investigators and attorneys involved in the case.
Despite the charges filed in both Gannon's parents Albert Stauch and Landen Hiott still hold on to the hope that their son will come home alive as per Cynthia Coffman spokeswoman of Gannon's parents who declined to give out other information about the devastating news.
On January 27, Gannon was reported missing by his stepmother who stated that he last saw the boy that afternoon as he left the family home to visit friends but despite hundreds of hours spent by volunteers and authorities searching they cannot find the boy forcing Gannon's parents to make a video pleading for his return and sharing how their miracle baby brings joy to them.
Colorado law enforcement arrested Letecia Stauch in Mrytle Beach on March and they brought her back to Colorado charging her with first-degree murder of a child under the age of 12 by a person in a position of trust, tampering with a body, tampering with evidence and child abuse resulting in death in connection to Gannon's case.
Letecia is scheduled to appear in court on April 14.
Related article: Missing Colorado Boy Pronounced Dead, Stepmother Arrested For Murder
