Watch: Video shows accused child killer Leticia Stauch flipping off a witness during trial

Leticia Stauch allegedly killed her 11-year-old stepson in January 2020, before putting his body in a suitcase and abandoning it under a bridge in Florida. The Colorado woman reportedly drove for hours across the country to abandon the suitcase. Leticia's case has been making headlines for a while now, but it was on Monday, April 18, 2023, that she received a warning from the presiding judge for making inappropriate gestures.

Judge Gregory Warner stated that he did not see the hand gestures himself, but had set a firm warning for Leticia Stauch. He also described the gestures to be “disrespectful to the proceeding.” According to Judge Warner, the gesture could also be viewed as a form of witness intimidation.

The 36-year-old woman allegedly stabbed and shot her 11-year-old stepson Gannon Stauch on January 27, 2020. A few hours later, she reported him missing and claimed that she didn't know where he was.

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Presiding judge warned Leticia Stauch to be careful about inappropriate hand gestures

While proceedings for Leticia Stauch's murder trial were being held on Monday, the presiding judge gave her a warning. He said that he would have her removed from the court and be handcuffed. Stauch reportedly appeared to have made an inappropriate gesture in court.

The presiding judge, Judge Warner, said that while he hadn't seen the gesture, it might come across as a way to intimidate witnesses and family members. He added that the acts could be disrespectful to the court and the legal process. The judge also believed that Leticia Stauch’s inappropriate hand gestures might have been an attempt to put an impact on the presentation of evidence.

Warner added that Leticia wasn't the first defendant to have acted out and wasn't going to be the last either. He said that he couldn't imagine the pressure the defendant is under and that it wasn't uncommon for defendants to disagree with certain testimonies or dislike certain people. However, he added that the defendant cannot act disrespectfully in terms of their words or their actions.

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Judge Warner threatened to kick Leticia out of the courtroom if she did not behave well

Judge Warner warned Leticia based on the information that he received from District Attorney Michael Allen. The latter had said that it was brought to their attention that during the afternoon session of witnesses on Monday, Leticia had been "flipping the bird" to witnesses and Gannon's family.

The presiding judge added that he couldn't control the conduct of the people in the room, including Leticia. However, he said that if her behavior continued, he would have her removed from the courtroom.

The judge further told Leticia Stauch that her gestures and movements might be distracting for the attorneys and that she could be held in contempt for each act. He also warned Leticia that she could be handcuffed throughout the proceedings. Judge Warner also suggested holding her in a courthouse cell until she changes her behavior inside the courtroom.

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As mentioned already, Leticia allegedly killed her stepson, Gannon Stauch on January 27, 2022. Her defense attorney didn't argue that the murder did not take place. However, they claimed that Leticia Stauch was suffering from a dissociative identity disorder.