Belize - Faye Lin Cannon, 13, brutally slain, San Pedro, 3 July 2017 *American parents arrested*

[Kamille]

I have to assume that Anke has sole custody of the children then. I wonder why that would be? Surely if they had joint custody, the authorities would have turned them over to DC by now? :waitasec:

MOO

 

[Satchie]

I have to assume that Anke has sole custody of the children then. I wonder why that would be? Surely if they had joint custody, the authorities would have turned them over to DC by now? :waitasec:

MOO

I can't see how they could have had joint custody when one parent lived in Hawaii. Coming to visit them while staying in a hotel wouldn't count as custody, IMO. Joint custody would be when the children spend an equal part of their lives in each home, eg with their own bedroom and daily routines, and both parents mutually make desisions like what school they should attend, what activities/hobbies they should pursue, what chores they do, what their allowance is, and so on.

 

[MsMarple]

Judith Alpuche, CEO - Ministry of Human Development
"The children remain in the care of the Department of Human Services and they are receiving counseling. As you can imagine there are lots of issues that they are dealing with coming out of this tragedy."

"So that's where we are with the case. The children continue to be our care and we continue to possible placement with the adopted father, but nothing is settled yet."

Anke Doehm continues her custody battle in Family Court and still faces criminal charges in Magistrate's Court.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=42417

 

[Laughing]

I have to assume that Anke has sole custody of the children then. I wonder why that would be? Surely if they had joint custody, the authorities would have turned them over to DC by now? :waitasec:

MOO

Joint custody can involve decision-making & differs from physical custody.

Unfortunately for Faye Lin's sisters, they are witnesses to criminal activity. The court is likely to keep them nearby.

Apparently Dad sees them? When the dust settles & the trial is over, they may very well leave Belize with Dad.

 

[mom2four717]

I have not checked in for awhile. I am taken by surprise about DD suicide. Wow
I've got some reading to do.

 

[Snoopster]

Any news?
I worry so much about Faye Lin's sisters.

 

[MsMarple]

From December 16, 2017:

The custody case involving the Cannon children has once again been delayed, after the case was adjourned on Tuesday, December 12th at a Family Court in Belize City. The scheduled custody hearing between Anke Doehm and David Cannon, the adoptive mother, and father of Faye Lin Cannon’s three siblings could not be concluded because the Court is waiting for the completion of a Social Inquiry Report on behalf of Doehm. As a result of this missing report, the case was rescheduled to a later date next week, which the Court is yet to reveal.
...
While Anke continues to fight for the custody of her adoptive daughters, she is now facing the charge of ‘Cruelty to a Child’ on her own. Her recent appearance in court regarding this charge was on Thursday, December 7th where without a lawyer, she represented herself. The case was adjourned as well to a date in February 2018.

https://www.sanpedrosun.com/community-and-society/2017/12/16/custody-case-cannon-children-adjourned/

I don't quite understand the delay in the custody case; AFAIK, David Doehm was not a party to the adoptions so why would a "Social Inquiry Report" on his behalf be needed?

 

[Snoopster]

Good news....David Cannon has won custody of his surviving daughters.

It's posted on the Breaking Belize News FB page (3 hours ago). You'll have to scroll down the FB page to find it. Unfortunately when I click on the item to read the full article on their website the website seems to be down right now.

https://www.facebook.com/breakingbelizenews/

https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/2017/12/29/david-cannon-wins-custody-battle-for-faye-lins-siblings/

 

[dotr]

http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/158121
Dec 28, 2017

[h=2]David Cannon Wins Custody of Faye Lin’s Sisters[/h]

David Cannon

The three surviving sisters of thirteen-year-old Faye Lin Cannon went home to the U.S. for Christmas last week, now in the custody of their adoptive father, David Cannon. On December twentieth, according to the San Pedro Sun, Cannon won the high profile custody battle against the children’s adoptive mother Anke Doehm. The Family Court decided to release the three girls from the protective custody of the Human Services Department. The children had been living with their adoptive mother Anke Doehm and her husband David Doehm on Ambergris Caye. Both were arrested after they became the prime suspects in Faye’s death, following a post-mortem examination revealing that the little girl was apparently murdered and physically and sexually abused

.

 

[MsFacetious]

I'm glad they were able to leave for Christmas. I hope they are doing well and will still be able to assist in the case if needed. It'll be good for them to be away from the case geographically for now.

 

[kay74]

I'm sooo happy for this. I hope they all do well. Poor Faye had to die for this to happen. Makes me sick.

 

[dyannaON]

Now Anke can worry about Ruby Moon, Thailand travels, selfies and all that's zen. Jmo.
I wish much peace to the girls. And I hope the dad does well. This can't be easy for him. I hope they have an amazing support system.
Justice for Faye.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TeaTime]

Wow! Daughter and husband dead; custody of other children lost to father and in another country; she is left behind, alone, pending trial; without the $5,400 in support that the adoptive father sent every month; surely the business has shuttered; the people in the neighborhood hate her and she can't escape. I don't think even Yoga can fix this.

DD was likely living in the hotel because there was no chance that she would get the girls back with him in the house in light of the sexual abuse allegations. IMHO he killed himself because the forensics, Anke and the other kids were going to nail him for the murder and sexual abuse and he didn't want to live in a Belize prison for the rest of his life.

Karma.

Anke looks so masculine. SO masculine. The face and the arms - something is not quite right.

 

[Lilibet]

Very relieved to hear this news. I forget where he lives...CA or HI?

 

[Kamille]

In an interview with the San Pedro Sun, Cannon said that in the social inquiry report, it was revealed that Anke did not have adequate requirements for a proper living facility for the children.

Anke is still facing charges in Belize in relation to Faye’s death. She and her husband were charged for ‘cruelty to a child’.

https://www.breakingbelizenews.com/...n-wins-custody-battle-for-faye-lins-siblings/

I hope this indicates that Anke is struggling to survive down there and is uneasy about her future.

Like everyone else, I am also glad that the girls were able to return to the U.S. with their father and spend Christmas in what I hope was a very loving and supportive environment. I don't suppose we'll hear much, if anything, about them but I hope they are getting counselling and go on to live happy and fulfilled lives.

MOO

 

[MsMarple]

From January 3, 2018:

Roberta Magnus-Usher, S.C - Attorney for David Cannon

"We were not expected to be challenged by Mrs. Doehm considering the position she was in, considering the fact that one of the children had died in her care and that there was a pending criminal case coupled with everything else but they did challenge it, we filled (sic) for custody. Human Services had the children in their care, so that was another obstacle and at the point that Human Services had the children in their care, my client had not gotten access to the children. There is an exclusion order against him and against Mrs. Doehm and we understand that because Human Services and no one else in fact in Belize really knew who Mr. Cannon was. So we progressively try to change that situation by disclosing everything, by being up front with Human Services and allowing them to do the checks and balances that they needed to do. Regarding Mrs. Doehm, we presented all the evidence that showed and we think establish beyond a doubt that she was not a fit parent."

"We continue and we adjourn one more time I think after that for further hearing from her to give her testimony in addition to calling teachers, we call additional witnesses from San Pedro who had known the girls to give testimony and their testimony was heart wrenching. I am mindful of the fact that there is a criminal trial pending but as far as our evidence as we disclosed it in court I think established beyond a doubt these girls were neglected and that they were abused and the want and lack of care that a parent would have for their child was obvious. The teachers themselves, one teacher in particular got very emotional in his testimony because he had sought to reach out to these girls."
...
We understand that Anke Doehm may have intended to call one of the girls to testify in her defense, when her case is tried. That won't happen because the court refused grant her any kind of visitation rights. She only got 15 minutes to say good bye after the case was decided.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=43229

 

[bleuboy]

From January 3, 2018:

Roberta Magnus-Usher, S.C - Attorney for David Cannon

"We were not expected to be challenged by Mrs. Doehm considering the position she was in, considering the fact that one of the children had died in her care and that there was a pending criminal case coupled with everything else but they did challenge it, we filled (sic) for custody. Human Services had the children in their care, so that was another obstacle and at the point that Human Services had the children in their care, my client had not gotten access to the children. There is an exclusion order against him and against Mrs. Doehm and we understand that because Human Services and no one else in fact in Belize really knew who Mr. Cannon was. So we progressively try to change that situation by disclosing everything, by being up front with Human Services and allowing them to do the checks and balances that they needed to do. Regarding Mrs. Doehm, we presented all the evidence that showed and we think establish beyond a doubt that she was not a fit parent."

"We continue and we adjourn one more time I think after that for further hearing from her to give her testimony in addition to calling teachers, we call additional witnesses from San Pedro who had known the girls to give testimony and their testimony was heart wrenching. I am mindful of the fact that there is a criminal trial pending but as far as our evidence as we disclosed it in court I think established beyond a doubt these girls were neglected and that they were abused and the want and lack of care that a parent would have for their child was obvious. The teachers themselves, one teacher in particular got very emotional in his testimony because he had sought to reach out to these girls."
...
We understand that Anke Doehm may have intended to call one of the girls to testify in her defense, when her case is tried. That won't happen because the court refused grant her any kind of visitation rights. She only got 15 minutes to say good bye after the case was decided.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=43229

I am so happy that the girls can get another chance at a good loving upbringing. Its just a shame Faye Lin had to pay the horrible price for this to happen.
I shouldn't be shocked to see that anke would try to get one of the girls to testify for her. By doing that does she not think that would drive a wedge between the other girls. This monster of a woman has got no shame.
Thankyou for the update ms marple

 

[MsMarple]

I'm trying to wrap my head around this, from April 9:

Today, Anke made her first appearance in the Supreme Court, whose April session has commenced, but her name was not on the docket. After making checks, attorney Senior Counsel Ellis Arnold said he advised her to go back home and return for the next session which begins on June sixteenth.

http://edition.channel5belize.com/archives/163393

So Anke is out on bail and living nearby for the time being. She showed up to learn when her trial date is and was told she wasn't on the current docket and to go home until the next session which begins June 16.

From March 19:

Doehm’s most recent court appearance was on February 26th in Belize City, for a preliminary inquiry on the ongoing case against her. According to sources, the court ruled that Doehm should go immediately to trial for the said charge. However, a date for the trial has not been set yet.

Doehm’s case has been adjourned continuously ever since she and her deceased husband, David Doehm were jointly charged with the offense on July 12, 2017.

https://www.sanpedrosun.com/crime-a...ke-doehm-yet-face-trial-charge-cruelty-child/

The last hearing was postponed because the prosecutor was waiting on "four scientific reports" that were not yet completed. No information on the reports.

There's an awful lot of violent crime recently in Belize for the population size of about 367,000. A number of victims were children. So I don't know if Faye Lin's murder has fallen through the cracks or if someone messed up the investigation. Whatever the reason it's frustrating to see Faye Lin's memory fading from peoples' minds. :tears:

https://www.sanpedrosun.com/communi...ans-stand-child-abuse-crime-violence-country/

 

[Satchie]

I suspect the prosecution of Faye Lin's case would be challenging any where, but especially for a country like Belize. I don't think they have advanced medical forensic facilities or many trained medical forensic experts. They're not only trying to reconstruct the circumstances of her death, there's trying to prove that previous injuries were not self-inflicted, whether there was sexual abuse, and looking for traces of valium or other drugs. And then, tying it all to Anke, and that she should have known and sought outside help.

The Doehm's seem to have been so isolated, no extended family and friends popping in, who could report on what they saw and heard. I wonder whether the other children were interviewed.

I'm not convinced they'll be able to make it stick to her, but I think they're trying their best.

 

[MsMarple]

I suspect the prosecution of Faye Lin's case would be challenging any where, but especially for a country like Belize. I don't think they have advanced medical forensic facilities or many trained medical forensic experts. They're not only trying to reconstruct the circumstances of her death, there's trying to prove that previous injuries were not self-inflicted, whether there was sexual abuse, and looking for traces of valium or other drugs. And then, tying it all to Anke, and that she should have known and sought outside help.

The Doehm's seem to have been so isolated, no extended family and friends popping in, who could report on what they saw and heard. I wonder whether the other children were interviewed.

I'm not convinced they'll be able to make it stick to her, but I think they're trying their best.

Thanks for that Satchie - it makes me feel better.