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Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.
Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.
Buckle up and crank up that volume. This is Serialist League with Annie Elise.
Hey everybody, welcome to a bonus episode of Serialistly. It is me, Annie Elise, your true crime bestie, and I had to just jump on here with you guys today and drop this bonus episode because so many of you guys have been asking me what's going on with the Lori Vallow stuff, what's going on with Letitia Stouck. We know they are both monster mothers who were found guilty, but their journey is far from over. Lori now faces even newer charges.
And Letitia is trying to appeal. So I just had to jump on here with you guys and break it all down and let you know what we can expect for both of them. Because like I said, the road ahead is far from over. But first, take a quick second, rate and review this podcast, please. Give it a follow so that you don't miss a single episode or bonus episode because you know we are dropping the updates on these cases like crazy.
rapid fire. So do that really quick and we are going to jump right into all things Lori and Letitia. Lori Vallow's legal journey has finally come to an end. Well, for now. So the last week of trial came to an abrupt end and unexpected ending after the prosecution rested. The defense said that they wouldn't be calling any witnesses, including Lori, saying that they didn't feel like the prosecution had met their burden of proof in proving her guilt.
Yes, technically the defense doesn't have to prove anything or put on a defense, we know that, but it was extremely shocking and, in my opinion, sealed Lori's fate if any jury members had any questions or didn't already conclude that she was guilty. Next was the closing arguments.
The prosecution had a very powerful closing argument by Rob Wood. He said that Lori is a killer, and by Idaho law, even if she encouraged it, knew anything about it, or anything like that, it was the same as her physically killing anyone. Rob Wood also went through all of the times that Lori lied.
She lied to Charles' kids about his death. She lied to Colby about his death. She lied to JJ Schools about Charles' death. She lied about Tylee being at BYU. She lied to JJ School about him moving to Louisiana. She lied to Melanie Gibb that he was in Louisiana. She lied to the police multiple times about JJ being with Melanie Gibb.
She lied to the police that she barely knew Chad Daybell and that he was one of Alex's friends, when in fact they were at the time married and, you know, concocting this disgusting love story together. She lied to Colby about Tylee being busy at school with her new friends. And she lied to Summer and Colby about the kids being okay. He went in on a tear about her, about all of her lies, because as you just heard, it was a laundry list.
And it was all true. She did lie about all of it. Whether she knew precisely what happened to them or not, when your kids are found in your new husband's backyard and you've been lying to everyone about it for months and you're not going to testify and explain yourself, probably because there was no explanation to be fair, but yeah, that is a lot and in my opinion just has guilty written on her forehead.
The defense had an excellent closing argument too. I thought it was the best that they could do for her given the circumstances. They threw Chad and Alex under the bus so hard and that was kind of to be expected. And they said things which I'm paraphrasing here, not quoting exactly.
But they said things like, "Everyone in this room knows Lori didn't actually kill anyone. Alex and Chad were on the property when the kids were presumably buried. But was Lori's phone pinging there? No. Was Lori at Chad's house when Tammy was killed? No. And again, that is true.
All the evidence that the state had was pretty solid on conspiracy to commit murder, but the evidence for first-degree murder was circumstantial. There weren't any text messages from Lori saying, Hey, Chad, let's get rid of the kids. I'm sick and tired of them, and I'd be better off without them. They wouldn't be ruining our plans. There wasn't anything like that or anything blatantly incriminating like that example found in her iCloud account. Jim Archibald said, The state wants you to believe that this was about money, power, and sex, but think about that.
Money? Chad makes $20,000 to $30,000 a year, and Charles made $400,000 a year. So why would she kill Charles for Chad? Charles would be more valuable alive than the insurance policy because it would eventually, of course, run out.
then he said sex use your common sense you've seen pictures of chad look at him use your common sense which i kind of just loved that because it was like such a dig to peter griffin looking chad and it's true it's like no offense but like nobody wants that on top of them so he says do you really think that lori would trade charles for chad and then he continues and power chad had roughly six followers that took him a year to get
So to gather 144,000 people, it would take him 24,000 years at his current rate. And the reason he had no money is because he could barely sell his stupid books.
I mean, I loved this because it really did just take those digs, which I get it. It's not because he was being petty. That was like the intention with the closing argument was to show that they were responsible, that Lori, their client, was not. But like I just loved it because it was all true. He didn't sell us stupid books. He didn't have many followers. He did look like a sloppy Joe piece of crap, and nobody I can't imagine would want to be sleeping with that, even though Lori did. So it's like,
I loved it because as much as it was trying to defend their client, it was also roasting Chad, which was chef's kiss. So after closing arguments, the court took a lunch recess and Lori was visibly pissed off at her attorneys, wiping her eyes with tissues and crying a lot. A lot of people that were in the courtroom, including Nate Eaton, said that she was mad about Chad and Alex being thrown under the bus so hard and about calling Chad's books stupid.
which is obviously just so unbelievably maddening that she could barely cry during this entire trial, but this is what upsets her. This is what makes her cry.
Of course. And I just want to say it has been said too that during the entire duration of the trial, Lori was very adamant with her defense team that she did not want to throw Chad and Alex under the bus, which I'll be honest, initially, I thought that that was going to be the play. I thought that because their trials were severed, that she would throw them under the bus, that Alex was the henchman, he was the executioner, and she would use that to get out of it.
But apparently she was very adamant that she did not want them thrown under the bus at all, which kind of makes me wonder in question if she still believes in the cause of why they did all of this. Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance.
Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.
Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.
An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.
Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. So on Friday, May 12th, the jury reached a verdict after almost seven hours of deliberation. I believe it was like six hours and 51 minutes to be exact. Judge Boyce allowed the Zoom cameras in the courtroom and to be turned on and streamed when the verdict was read. The jury came back and found her guilty on all six counts. Three counts of conspiracy to commit murder for Tylee, JJ, and Tammy Daybell. Two counts of first-degree murder for JJ and Tylee and grandfather.
As the verdict was being read, the entire courtroom was so quiet that you could almost hear a pin drop. After the first charge came back as guilty, everyone kept listening, and then the court clerk read through the rest of the verdicts for each count. Guilty, guilty, guilty. And it went on. You could feel a massive sigh of relief in the courtroom, and many people in the gallery were crying because the victims in this case
finally got their first part of justice. Larry and Kay Woodcock hugged each other and sobbed after Lori was taken back into custody. Now, Lori continued her emotionless demeanor. She was completely emotionless as the verdicts were read, which wasn't surprising because she has had that look on her face throughout the entire trial. But the reason that she had the look isn't for the reason most people would think.
Normal people may naturally think, since, again, they are normal, oh, well, she certainly sees what she did now, or she realizes that she's completely screwed. But I don't think it's that at all. It's my opinion that kind of throughout this whole trial, Lori was under the impression that she would actually not be found guilty by the jury because how could they resist her natural decision?
charm, she's an exalted goddess, remember? And that surely they must see how she isn't acting like a guilty person. She seems like she is relaxed with how she was carrying on with her attorneys, chatting with them like she wasn't even on trial or in a courtroom at all.
Or like she was catching up with an old friend from the past, just telling them about a funny story or something. And why is that? Because Lori is delusional. This was the worst possible behavior that she could have displayed because it made her look like someone with zero conscience, zero concern, zero remorse, and she looked more like a callous psychopath rather than this gore.
cool as a cucumber facade that she was going for, which some people believe she is an actual psychopath. So I don't know, maybe there is something to that. She also has aged a ton from when she was first arrested to where we are now with the end of the trial. During the trial, when the judge would overrule her attorney's objections or allow some evidence that they were arguing against,
There were a couple of occasions where my team member who was in the courtroom could hear Lori and see her say, of course. She only heard this on one day, so I'm not meaning that Lori necessarily did that the whole trial or anything. It depended on where you were able to sit in the courtroom each day.
There weren't many seats close to Lori and they got filled up pretty quickly but the way that Lori said of course was like she thought that the whole system or proceeding was rigged against her and only favored the prosecution. The whole time in this trial for some reason I kept wanting to find one smidge of empathy for her because it truly is such an unbelievable case and I really
I really do think she was brainwashed. Not to say that her behavior and her actions and her participation is not vile, disgusting, and inhumane. It absolutely is. But like, I can't
I kept trying to find like a smidge of empathy to be like, "Well, she was brainwashed. Can't like, can I wrap my mind? Not justify it, but like, can I kind of understand like and empathize with her?" But no, like just trying to find anything to grab onto because how could anyone do this to their children? Surely there must be something, anything left in Lori that's good and that her being a mother that this could not have been true.
But like I said in my last video, if Lori wasn't involved or innocent in her eyes, why wouldn't she just say, oh my god, of course I had no idea my kids were mutilated and put in a pet cemetery? We've heard from her own family members, including Kate Woodcock, that in the past, Lori was a good mom. And I do believe that. I think the reason why Lori didn't put up a defense or even attempt to explain is because Lori still stands by Chad 100%.
Not that she was genuinely going for this whole "the prosecution didn't prove their case, hail Mary" defense, which I know that is something that has been speculated throughout her entire time in custody leading up to trial. But for me, I think it's true. In my opinion, Lori is still in her fantasy land of not thinking that she did anything wrong. I think she still believes in Chad's BS and that she really is a powerful being and doesn't have to explain anything to anyone.
And for that, I will never, ever have any empathy for her at all. So, good riddance, Monster Mom Lori. Sweet new mugshot, by the way. You look like Pippi Longstonging, you decrepit old hag. And I'm glad you're losing whatever beauty you did originally have when you were first arrested. We will, unfortunately, though, still be seeing you in Arizona, which now brings me to my next topic.
Lori was indicted for the conspiracy to commit the murder of Brandon Boudreau, her niece Melanie's ex-husband, which was more of an attempted murder but the same charges. And she still has the case for Charles' death waiting for her. And now she will have more than one victim to answer for. However, before she gets transferred to Arizona, she will have to wait 90 days until she is sentenced in Idaho.
As of right now, Chad's trial is starting in June of 2024. But we know how his prosecution team likes to delay, delay, delay. So who really knows when that will happen and if justice will be served. I also can't help but wonder, I've been saying this from the beginning when I thought that they were going to flip on each other. Clearly, Lori didn't. However, now that Lori has been found guilty, I can't help but wonder if Chad is going to change his defense strategy.
A lot of people are wondering if he's going to agree to a plea deal so that it doesn't go to trial. I don't think so. This is just my personal opinion. But I think he is far too narcissistic to agree to a plea deal and, like, admit, like, yeah, the whole thing was bogus. None of it was real. I'm guilty. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I think he's still, like, just so on his high horse of him thinking that he's so powerful and, you know, the prophet or whatever the hell he thinks. But...
I do wonder if when he does go to trial, if now that Lori has been found guilty, he is going to put it all on Lori and Alex, saying, it was this family. It was her kids, her brother who killed them. I had nothing to do with it. She got so crazy in the cult, like, in the, you know, religious beliefs. I tried to stop her, but then because of love, I helped bury them. I helped cover it up. So, yes, like, I should be charged for that, but for the exorcism,
of murder, it was all Alex. Like, I wonder if there is going to be a strategy there since she has been found guilty. Let me know what you guys think or if you think he's going to be her ride or die till the very end like she was for him. I'm curious. What do you think? Tylee, Tammy, and JJ, no matter what, deserve justice and I am so thankful that their loved ones received the verdict that may help them somewhat begin to find closure.
there is still a very long road ahead, and I will be keeping up with everything that takes place at her sentencing, what takes place in Arizona, and Chad's charges, of course, as well. What they did to so many people is just absolutely unforgivable and should never be forgotten. I do have one other statement I'd like to make, believe it or not. I do. I forgot. I forgot one of the most important things. Thank you.
Ray, what would I do without you? I have one more statement. JJ, I love you. Papa, wish you were here in other circumstances. Tylee, Papa loves you. Tammy, I never met you. Tammy, you are part of our life.
"Tammy, I am sorry for what happened to you. My heart hurts. My heart hurts for these three." This is what this has been all about from the very get-go. It started with two children missing him. And I stood up and I said, "Where are the children? Where are the children? Where are the children? Give us back our children."
We're not ending this. This is not the end of this. Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.
Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.
An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.
Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Now let's move in to the second monster mom of the month of May, Letitia Stouck. God, boy, do I have so many opinions on this woman. If you're not fully caught up in this trial and with this case, I have a playlist. Highly suggest you go watch that. If you don't want to watch the whole playlist, that's fine too. Just watch the one video that I put out, which I'll link it here as well, where it says, "'Worse than Casey Anthony.'"
That should be saying a lot. But this woman is just like, oh my God, absolutely deranged. Even after her arrest, she takes an unopened can of Monster, like crushes the police officer's head in the backseat of the cop car, tries to escape. And what she did to poor Gannon, I mean, you got to get caught up. But anyway, I'm here to give you the update. So the Letitia Stout trial was a very long and mentally exhausting journey for everyone involved, lasting a grueling five weeks, and even longer if we consider jury selection.
As the trial finally came to an end, closing statements couldn't have come soon enough for Gannon's family, who have waited three years for justice.
On Friday, May 5th, the prosecution and defense presented their closing arguments and I think that there is no denying that both teams did a great job throughout this entire trial. It's easy to feel hate toward the defense teams because we often see them as an extension of the defendant, but it's everyone's constitutional right to have someone defend you in court and I think all things considered, this defense team did their best with what they were given and what crazy ass client they
had. I mean, it can't be easy to have to spend time with, let alone defend Letitia Stauk. In the prosecution's closing arguments, they pointed out a lot of what we were all thinking in regards to Dr. Lewis's expert testimony. I don't think anyone can deny that she was at one time a brilliant doctor.
who was a pioneer in the mental health field. However, there is a reason the doctors retire, and I think her testimony did more harm than good for the defense. But hey, it did end the trial on a somewhat entertaining note after a lot of repetitive testimony from other witnesses, so at least we had that. The prosecution brought up the fact that Dr. Lewis didn't even know what constitutes an insanity defense in the state of Colorado, and how it was clear to everyone but her that Letitia was faking DID.
She didn't know the legal definition of insanity in the state of Colorado, ladies and gentlemen. The whole reason she came in to testify was there are people who are truly, legally insane, ladies and gentlemen. They don't act like that. If they don't have the capacity to know right from wrong, they're not going to hide the body. They're going to act like nothing happened. They may even do the crime if someone's there watching them because they don't know that it's wrong. Do you think she would have done this to Gannon if anyone was in the room with her?
Of course not. They also said that just because you get angry and make a mistake doesn't mean you're insane.
If you lose your temper, you don't get to claim insanity. They said that Letitia making up so many lies to cover up the murder afterwards and the lengths that she went to to conceal what she did isn't consistent with people who are actually insane. They argued that people who are insane at the time of a murder either just do it in front of anyone because they don't realize it's wrong, or if they do it and aren't aware, when they come back to reality, they're horrified about what happened.
They don't tell lie after lie and have zero empathy or remorse or emotion. In the defense's closing, they obviously tried to get the jury not to discount Dr. Lewis's testimony just because she clearly has some memory issues, which I don't know about you guys, but I don't think that would make me want to necessarily trust their witness. They said that the one thing that the prosecution can't prove was a motive and that a happy and loving stepmother doesn't just kill her stepson unless there is a psychotic break.
The one thing they cannot answer because there is no answer is motive. Motive for why this happened. Motive how we can go from this picture on a hike up at Garden of the Gods, loving, kind, to less than 24 hours later. Brutal rage. 18 stab wounds. Four blood force trauma. Shot. This wasn't a pre-planned shot.
calculated killing for some gain this was a psychotic feel by rage attacking a demon from the past
However, I think it's become abundantly clear what Letitia's motive was. She hated Gannon. She said so herself in one of her psychobabble Google searches. She was resentful towards Al for always being stuck with the kids when she wanted to be off traveling instead. She wasn't feeling love and affection from him anymore because he wanted out of the relationship, and she could not deal with not being wanted anymore and feeling like a glorified babysitter.
So she took it out on Gannon and then needed a really good explanation for what happened. So she lied and lied some more and then lied a little bit more. And then when that didn't work, she lied about being insane. The defense said that people who are insane can still cover up crimes. The other thing that I want to talk to you and it's important that in was very apparent with Dr. Torres.
Mr. Young would like you to believe that the only time somebody is legal and sane if they commit the crime and they just stay there saying, yeah, if it was me, I did it for these reasons. Dr. Torres and the jury instructions from the court state somebody cannot know right from wrong but still recognize that their conduct was criminal when it occurred. And so you heard from Dr. Torres, just because somebody in a state of psychosis
in a state of insanity, commits a horrible murder and then tries to cover it up. The covering up of the murder does not preclude insanity. And she talked about how there are cases that she has had where somebody was insane who then tried to cover up the acts that they have done because they didn't want to suffer the criminal repercussions. They are not mutually exclusive. That's not coming from me. That's coming from the instructions that you have from the court.
While that might be true, that is just one tiny factor in what the judge would refer to as an "Everest-sized mountain of other factors." Everyone expected the verdict to come back pretty quickly, but the jury ended up deliberating for over eight hours, clearly considering all of the evidence that Letitia may have been insane.
Throughout the trial, they asked thoughtful and pointed questions, so I'm sure that this group wanted to be as thorough as possible. There was over 800 pieces of evidence, and it wouldn't be until the following Monday that we would end up getting their decision. With respect to count number one, charge of murder in the first degree after deliberation, we the jury find the defendant, Letitia Stauk, guilty of count number one, murder in the first degree after deliberation.
With respect to count number two, charge of murder in the first degree, child under 12, by a person in a position of trust, we, the jury, find the defendant, Letitia Stouck, guilty of count number two, murder in the first degree, child under 12, position of trust. With respect to count number three,
charge of tampering with a deceased human body. We, the jury, find the defendant, Letitia Stouck, guilty of count number three, tampering with a deceased human body. With respect to count number four, charge of tampering with physical evidence,
We, the jury, find the defendant, Letitia Stouck, guilty of count number four tampering with physical evidence. After the verdict was read, there was a collective sigh of relief throughout the entire courtroom and the country, honestly. After three long years, Gannon's family would finally get their opportunity to say everything they've been holding in during their victim impact statements.
Landon and Al's statements were so emotional and so moving. I don't think that there was a dry eye amongst anyone who was watching. I know, certainly not for me. However, one person who was completely unfazed was Letitia, which
which just shows, again, that she has no emotions, no empathy, and no remorse. You could see her making faces, like trying to seem confused by some of their statements, or furrowing her eyebrows during the parts that clearly made her mad. There was one point when she was even smirking. The fact that Al brought his beautiful new wife and has moved on, you could tell, drove Letitia crazy.
The only point she even looked up was when Al was crying, and it was like some sort of sick way to see how badly she hurt him. Now for my precious, premature firstborn son. Get it? I never in my wildest dreams would have ever thought you'd be in danger, buddy. Or I'd know I wouldn't have not left you at home with what turned out to be your murderer and the last person to ever see you on this earth. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry.
I don't care how much anyone was abused or anything, he was not anyone's demon. Tisha was not the glue to keep everything together. She was not the answer. And this is not a job, Landon, okay? But Lena still lives with me. Tisha, you were not the answer. Now, Your Honor, if I have any influence on the final sentence for Tisha, first I ask to be stripped of my last name immediately. It's nauseating and infuriating to hear her called Ms. Stout this past three years.
At one point during Landon's statement, I thought she was going to jump across the podium and punch Letitia, which would have been amazing. But at the same time, all this woman wants is to make their family as miserable as possible, and that would just be giving her what she wanted. But this statement was beyond powerful, and I can't even begin to imagine where she dredged up the strength, bravery, and courage to do this without clawing Letitia's eyes out. We came into this world fighting.
And unfortunately, you left this world fighting. Your Honor, she fought against someone that he loved and trusted. Someone that myself and Albert both trusted and loved. Someone who can never understand what it means to love or trust anyone but herself. For more than three agonizing years, I've often wondered what I may say, or if I would even be able to.
For three years I have questioned every single possibility and scenario. For three years I have tried to forgive you, but I can't. I want to. But no parent should have to bury their child. No parent should have to see or hear the horrific things you have done to the whole family. She has taken away the most precious gift in this world. Not just my family, not Al's family, but your own family.
She destroyed dozens of lives, lives of people who never wanted to believe that she could have done this. She knew how special Gannon was, and she knew what meant to most of me. I in my heart can never understand her hatred and insecurities when it came to me. I did love her. Let me tell you what Gannon has done, even to this day.
Even after you murdered him and she tried to take any positive image of him. He has caused families and communities to come together. Children and adults have given their life to Christ. He is called unity in times of trial. He is a hero. She even tried to steal that away. A cape? Huh? The one image of Ganon that was created for the world. After it went national. TV begging for the return of my son, my hero. How dare her? How truly sick and cruel is she?
You stole so much from this world. Ganon's cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters, new siblings, grandparents and friends are missing a huge portion of their lives without Ganon. Lena is missing her brother. Your Honor, I've never seen a bond between two siblings so close as theirs.
He is not forgotten and never will be. And it's so sad to sit here today and face her, a person even gained in love. One that I know while she was attacking and killing him and fought for his life, he defended himself against her, still loving her. A love she never deserved from him for what she has done.
While she is too much of a coward to even come forward with the truth, she owes it to Gannon. But the lack of remorse and the lack of respect to Gannon through this child, her lack of compassion shows me that she and we, well, we were all wrong. She manipulated all of us, having to list to her sick lies, even as she tried to destroy who I was in Alberta as a father. I've had to sit and listen and watch every reenactment of images. No one was left in their mind.
You wanted to leave us with that, knowing it would torture us. But you underestimated me. I am Landon, Gannon's mom, and that will never change. Through my hurt, anger, and pain, I will never be the monster that she is.
Today's episode of Serialistly is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Now, most of you listening right now are probably multitasking. Yes, I know you are. While you're listening to me talk, you're probably also driving, cleaning, exercising, or maybe even grocery shopping. But if you are not in some kind of moving vehicle, there is something else you can be doing right now, getting an auto quote from Progressive Insurance.
It's easy and you could save money by doing it right from your phone. Drivers who save by switching to Progressive save nearly $750 on average. And auto customers qualify for an average of seven discounts. Discounts for having multiple vehicles on your policy, being a homeowner, and more. So just like your favorite podcast, Progressive will be with you 24-7, 365 days a year, so you're protected no matter what.
Multitask right now. Quote your car insurance at Progressive.com to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. National average 12-month savings of $744 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2022 and May 2023. Potential savings will vary. Discounts not available in all states and situations.
An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extrahelp.
paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Finally, after all of the family statements, Judge Warner delivered his statement before laying down Letitia's sentence. I've seen so many people say, and I agree, that Judge Warner really was one of the best judges that we've seen in a high-profile case like this. He was compassionate, empathetic, and fair, while also being firm and professional.
He has one of those personalities that is soft-spoken and easygoing, but at the same time has a presence that keeps control of the courtroom without having to beat his gavel. His statement was around 30 minutes long, so I pulled out the parts that stuck out to me the most, and let me tell you, he absolutely roasted Letitia. It was in the most professional way possible, but he dragged her and called her out for all of her BS. You betrayed your daughter, Harley Hunt.
I cannot imagine the emotional impact that you have had on her due to your selfish and calculated actions. This is a young woman that trusted you to put her interests above yours. This is a young woman who believed in you and believed you were innocent of this crime right up until the time that you pled not guilty by reason of insanity. And she still loves you. That's natural for a child and it doesn't matter how much older they get. You were supposed to protect her.
I cannot imagine the guilt she feels or the therapy that she will need to address your betrayal. At some point, you even claimed this eight-year-old girl helped you move her brother's body from the basement to the back of your car. That's just simply not true. As she gets older, Lena is going to want to know more, and she's going to want to know if there was something that she could have done to prevent this.
I hope she comes to realize that she has no fault in all of this. You betrayed your stepson and you took his life. You took away everything he was and everything he could ever become. I can't imagine the terror and confusion that he must have felt in the last moments of his life when he knew his life was being taken by someone he trusted to protect it.
Your attempt to raise the claim that you did this because of your adverse childhood is also a betrayal of people that have mental health issues. It is no secret that there is a large part of our population that has mental health issues. It's also no secret that our country and our health system could do a much better job addressing mental health issues than it does. However, the number of people with mental health issues who become violent is small, and the number who become murderers is smaller still.
Your claim that a mental health issue caused the murder in this case is a disservice to all those who struggle with mental health issues every day. Your claim is that it was another personality that murdered Gannon, but there is no time during the minutes, hours, and days following the murder where Letitia came out and wondered, "Gee, why am I carrying a body around in my luggage?" That just isn't credible.
It's clear that you hated and were jealous of Landon Bullard. You saw yourself as a better mother than she was. It's clear from the evidence that you had some resentment from being left with Mr. Stouck's children. It's clear you had some resentment toward Mr. Stouck because he traveled as part of his job. Some of that manifested as early as Al's assignment in Alaska when you made allegations against the people in his unit. That caused Al to have to return from Alaska.
and in one of the phone calls that were played for the jury you talked about having to take care of his kids while he was away and what a good mother what a good mother you were it's clear you felt trapped you wanted out you were searching for a new job in a new location in florida mr stout had been gone on his assi on his new assignment for less than two days when the fire in the basement occurred
I can imagine that you saw your whole future consisting of taking care of Mr. Stowk's children while he was off doing his thing, and that's not the future that you wanted. I can imagine Gannon, at some point after he sustained his burns, telling you he wanted his real mom, and how that comment would have made you angry. You took your frustration and anger for the marriage, the child care, the absence of Al, and even living in Colorado.
You took all of that out on Gannon. I think that's true. You lied because you didn't want to face the consequences. You needed to come up with a plan to fix this, and that plan involved covering up what you had done. It involved lie upon lie. But you slipped up at various points and let kernels of truth escape. I can, however, say without hesitation,
that the facts in this case are the most horrific I have ever seen. Your conduct in this case deserves the maximum punishment that I can impose under Colorado law. As such, with respect to the charge of first-degree murder after deliberation, I remand you to the custody of Colorado Department of Corrections for the remainder of your life with no possibility of parole.
With respect to the charge of murder in the first degree of a child under 12 by a person in a position of trust, I remand you to the custody of Colorado Department of Corrections for the remainder of your life with no possibility of parole. Those two sentences will merge. If you have questions about that, you can ask your attorneys. With respect to the charge of tampering with a deceased human body,
I'm also going to sentence you to 12 years followed by a three-year period of parole. That sentence is to be consecutive to the life sentences that I've already imposed. With respect to tampering with physical evidence, I'm going to impose an 18-month sentence. That sentence is also consecutive to the murder charges, to the sentences for the murder charges that I have imposed. I also understand with the consent of the prosecution, and I'm assuming no objection from the defense,
that I will dismiss all the charges in 20 CR 3170, close that out subject to restitution, give the people 49 days for restitution, 14 days for response. And if there's an issue, we will set it within the 90 days, within 90 days from. He saw right through her little act and gave her exactly what she deserved.
I'm so glad that the judge mentioned the effects someone like Letitia faking or exaggerating insanity can have on the mental health community. It was a big fear for a lot of people. The stigma that would again be forced on people who truly do suffer from DID or even BPD and anxiety.
People in those communities in particular have worked so hard after movies like Split and Sybil have come out to break the stigma of people with disassociative mental health disorders as being monstrous murderers with no self-control. There was like a moment of realization on Letitia's face where you could tell that she was like, dang, I picked the wrong disorder to fake. It's so clear now just how manipulative and truly evil she is.
And all of that isn't a result of involuntary mental health disorder.
DID and BPD don't make you have absolutely zero remorse or emotion, and she showed not one sign of either of those throughout the entire trial. Even when her own daughter Harley was on the stand, she was completely stone-faced, and during Al's testimony, anyone with a heart was brought to tears, her defense team included. If she truly ever loved Gannon, and if all of this were a mistake, she would be absolutely heartbroken by what happened and what a mental health disorder caused her to do.
But she wasn't. And she's not. Everything she did before, during, and after the murder showed that she is calculated, and now she'll have her entire life to think about what she did in prison. And as we all know, not even the most hardened of prisoners like baby killers. Following the verdict, Letitia's attorney said that he understands and accepts the jury's decision, because even he realized that the mountain of evidence against her was hard to deny.
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An official message from Medicare. A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. You may be able to save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help.
paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I think they gave a lot of weight to the mental illness that she suffered from, but in the end it's a very high bar in the state of Colorado for not guilty by reason of insanity. They did not feel that she had met it, and I can understand and accept their verdict. That being said, her team is already starting to work on an appeal, if you can imagine. Al and Landon both gave interviews after the verdict, and as devastating as this has been for both of them, it's amazing to see that Letitia wasn't able to completely break their spirit.
for six plus weeks without God, without my family, with a person sitting less than 10 yards away from me. I really, I would just ask her why over and over and over. And I still don't think I'd get the answer though. So I have to leave today knowing, and I'm okay with it, that I may never see her face again, that I'll see my son smile knowing confidently that this community worked hard, the DA worked hard to convict her.
And I'm happy. When asked about any red flags he may have noticed, this is what Al had to say. As you talk about red flags, I don't have any regrets about that relationship. I think I was clear that that relationship also was coming to an end. And you can take that for whatever it means. But nothing that ever happened in that relationship or my relationship with Gannon's mom equals a dead child.
So people, and I understand people like to do that, ask about red flags, and I'm not dogging you, that's a great question. He has been able to find love again with someone who understands his situation completely after losing a child herself.
And it's amazing that this situation hasn't caused him to lose his faith in humanity. And that would have been completely understandable as well. And we saw you and your beautiful wife there giving those victim impact statements yesterday. And so wonderful to see that you will have this new family unit. You told Leticia that you weren't the glue.
Can you talk about for those who may be going through something similar or they watch this and their trust is diminished a bit? How did you build that trust up again if you felt like you lost it in people? I think we put the blame when the blame's due. First of all, I think the trust was ripped away by a specific person. So for me to take that out on the rest of the world is unjust and unfair, first of all. Second of all, I...
chance to share a little bit of our story. I met my wife through tragedy in both of our lives. So when you talk about trust from what other way could I trust a person? And I had those same questions. How can I ever get into a long-term serious relationship again? Would I be able to? Maybe, maybe not. I don't know. Then along comes my way someone who's also lost a child in a tragic fashion. So
I think that answers the question for herself that she understands and I understand the level of trust and the level of difficulty would be to develop a new relationship considering what we've been through. And I just will sum it up with our motto, which is through tragedy we will triumph. And we are every single day. She brings joy into my life and we are winning.
The DA gave a statement about why they think this trial was so important to so many people, and I couldn't agree more. I think Gannon was real to people. There were lots of pictures pushed out in the hopes that we would find Gannon. The fact that his remains are found multiple states away, you know, over 1,300 miles away,
He became real. He became almost like everybody's son. Everyone saw their own child in Gannon and how sweet and innocent he was. He had such a positive effect on people during his short time on Earth. And even in death, he continues to inspire others and bring people together.
So we've got these two monster mothers locked up, put away. We still don't know Lori's exact sentencing, but I can't imagine that it's going to be light. And then we're going to be following along as she faces a slew of other crimes and charges. And then, of course, dumb daybells.
trial which god he's i just hate his face when i think about him i just hate his face i don't know why it's just like his face pops into my mind i just get agitated and irritated i just hate him anyways sorry been a long day um all right so there we are those are the updates for laurie and leticia but as we know laurie's story is far from over so when those updates happen and when she faces the music for those i will be right back here with you on the paint couch giving you those updates
All right, besties, thank you so much for tuning into this bonus episode. I hope that this was able to give you a little bit more clarity as to what's going on with Lori and Letitia. Please don't forget to give this podcast a quick rating and review before you close your app. And if you're not following the podcast yet, make sure that you do so so that you don't miss a single episode. We release brand new episodes every single Monday. And like this one, we also drop bonus episodes when there is just a case update that we got to talk about.
Kind of like last week when we dropped that Idaho bonus episode because of all the craziness going on with Brian Koberger. All right, guys, thanks again for listening. And I will see you bright and early on Monday with a brand new case for you if I don't see you sooner because I might have another bonus episode up my sleeve. But I guess you have to follow along to find out. All right, guys, have a great rest of your day and I will see you soon. An official message from Medicare.
A new law is helping me save more money on prescription drug costs. Maybe you can save too. With Medicare's Extra Help program, my premium is zero and my out-of-pocket costs are low. Who should apply? Single people making less than $23,000 a year or married couples who make less than $31,000 a year. Even if you don't think you qualify, it pays to find out. Go to ssa.gov slash extra help. Paid for by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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Our podcast brings all the ghosts to the yard, and hopefully it brings you too. Tune in to Two Girls, One Ghost wherever you listen to podcasts. It's the most haunted podcast in America. Very spooky.
