(NewsNation) — How did a YouTuber obtain the gruesome autopsy photos of 11-year-old Gannon Stauch? The rules on releasing information vary state by state, and one family wants to change that.
“There needs to be some legislation at both the state and federal level to correct these issues,” attorney Matt Hinson said Thursday evening during an appearance on “Dan Abrams Live.”
Hinson is all too familiar with the agony family members of a crime victim can feel. He represents the family of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey, who was fatally stabbed more than 100 times in 2021 by a classmate.
With multiple records requests to access the crime scene photos of the young cheerleader, Hinson helped the Bailey family push through their pain to modify the law in Florida.
Backed by the Tristyn Bailey Foundation, Senate Bill 404 was signed into law in Florida; it prohibits the release of crime scene images involving the killing of a child.
Hinson felt compelled to speak about the law after hearing that a YouTuber obtained autopsy photos of 11-year-old Gannon’s body and charged people money to view them online.
“The bigger picture here is not just what’s happening in a state-by-state perspective, but what are we doing as a society to protect these children and protect the victims’ families in this situation,” Hinson said.
He continued: “I think we would probably consider the holy grail of victim advocacy to be getting the federal government and the legislature in Congress to do something about protecting these (children) on a larger scale.”
NewsNation senior national correspondent Brian Entin reports the YouTuber going by the name “Zav Girl” made a Freedom of Information Act request for the autopsy photos of Gannon Stauch.
While it’s currently unclear who released the pictures of the child, Hinson said it appears the images were shared following a public records request made in Colorado.
Once the person running the “Zav Girl” account had the photos in their possession, Entin says she charged followers $3 on Patreon to view the child’s body.
A representative with Patreon confirmed Thursday the account has been removed from their platform.
“We removed ‘Zav Girl’ from Patreon for violations of our Community Guidelines for Violent and Graphic Content. To create a safe environment for users, Patreon does not allow content glorifying or promoting violence of any kind,” the spokesperson told NewsNation.
Gannon Stauch’s father, Al Stauch, told NewsNation he believes in the freedom of information but thinks the problem is not being able to control what someone with bad intentions might do.
“The world got enough information from the trial to have every discussion they want to have. Why do we need to go have (a) Freedom of Information request and pay for this kind of information and then dishonor my son by putting these photos out there like that?” Al Stauch asked.
“In this instance, someone has taken that (freedom) and turned it into evil,” he continued.
After receiving backlash, the YouTuber posted a statement about releasing the images, but it was later deleted.
In part, she posted: “The reality of the situation is that different people feel differently about this. Some people genuinely think making a video including the autopsy photos is bad and I respect their opinion and feelings. Other people, like myself, think of autopsy photos and the coroner discussing/explaining them as interesting and informative and are able to view it all in a more scientific detached way.”
Al Stauch said it isn’t about understanding a criminal case. It’s about respect for his son.
“What I will say to her, or anyone who’s doing these sorts of things, is what I’ve said all along: That this is not about anyone’s opinions or if you view it as a scientific discussion or anything like that. This is about respect for a little boy who tragically lost his life and did not deserve this. We should respect that,” Al Stauch said.
Now, the Bailey family is demanding that respect.
“That’s what the family is dedicated to do. They are set, they are going to do this across the United States and help other families in other states,” Hinson said.
Prosecutors said Letecia Stauch stabbed her stepson Gannon Stauch 18 times in Colorado while the child tried to fight her off before she hit him in the head and then shot him. From there, she stuffed the 11-year-old’s body in a suitcase and drove to Florida to dump it over a bridge. She was found guilty of first-degree murder in May and sentenced to life in prison.