In the early morning hours of January 8, 2023, the life of Madison Kay Staker, a 24-year-old White / Caucasian woman, was tragically cut short in her Ogden, Utah, home. The quiet of the morning on Jefferson Avenue was shattered by a single gunshot, the culmination of a night filled with arguments. Madison, known to her loved ones as Madi, was a vibrant young woman with a strong will and a love for the outdoors, known for her curly red hair and big blue eyes.
Her path in life had not always been a smooth one, but she faced it with determination, living life on her own terms.
Living with Madison was her 21-year-old partner, Garrett Steven Gorsch. On that fateful night, the couple had been engaged in a prolonged and heated argument. Witnesses later told authorities that the tension had been escalating and that Gorsch had made threats of violence against Madison in the past. As the argument continued into the early hours, it reached a fatal breaking point. According to Gorsch's own account to the police, he shot Madison after she refused to leave their residence. Police who responded to the scene around 6 a.m. found Madison deceased from a gunshot wound. They noted that there were no signs of a physical struggle.
Following the discovery, Garrett Steven Gorsch was arrested in connection with Madison's death. He was subsequently charged with murder. The investigation also led to further charges against him, including possession of a firearm by a restricted person, possession or use of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia. The weapon believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered at the scene. Gorsch was taken into custody and held at the Weber County Jail without bond, leaving a family and community to mourn the violent end to a young life.
