by Roy Davis (freelance writer)

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Mar. 4, 2024

A jury of 5 men and 4 women deliberated for about 3 hours today in the court of Justice Derick Sylvester before it found American national, Anke Doehm, 56, guilty of the charge of cruelty to a child. The jury’s verdict was unanimous.

She was remanded into custody until Thursday, March 14, for sentencing. The maximum sentence for the offence is 10 years.

Evidence adduced by the Crown, represented by the Director of Public Prosecution Cheryl Lynn Vidal, disclosed that the deceased, Faye Lin Cannon, 13, died on July 3, 2017. She and three of her sisters were the adopted children of Anke Doehm and her former husband, David Cannon. On the day that Faye passed, she was having difficulty breathing and her sister, Zoe, testified that she noticed that Faye had stopped breathing; and Dr. Gonzalez pronounced her dead after he examined her body while she was lying on her bed.

Dr. Loyden Ken, who performed the post mortem examination, testified that Faye’s cause of death was asphyxia. He also testified that there were bruises to her arms and legs and other parts of her body. He also said that Faye’s blood count was low and that she had suffered from malnutrition.

Zoe, who testified virtually, said that two days before Faye died, her stepfather David Doehm, who was Anke Doehm’s new husband, went into her room and stomped her in her chest to stop her from screaming. She also said David Doehm was in the habit of beating Faye, punching and slapping her. Zoe also testified that there were times when Faye refused to eat, refused to move, and scream when she was having a fit.

But although there was no evidence of Faye being beaten by her mother, there was evidence of her willfully neglecting Faye by not feeding her properly and not taking her to see a doctor. That was enough to convince the jury that Anke Doehm was guilty to the charge of cruelty to a child.

David Cannon also testified virtually. He said he came to Belize from the United States and went to San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, when he was [informed] that something had happened to Faye. He then found out when he went to the condominium where Faye was living that she had died. He said that he and Anke had adopted Faye and her sisters from the People’s Republic of China, and Anke was given custody of the children when they divorced. He said he applied for and was granted custody of the sisters after Faye died. He also said that during the time Anke had custody of the children he sent money to Anke every month for child support.

Anke gave a statement from the dock. She said that she didn’t willfully neglect Faye, and that she was a good mother. She testified that she had planned to take Faye to a doctor, but Faye died before she could do so. She said that David Doehm was an alcoholic and never gave Faye valium; and that it was David Doehm who used valium.

After David Doehm was charged jointly with Anke, he committed suicide and left a note in the room at Princess Hotel where his body was found.

Anke was represented by attorney Adolph Lucas, Sr.