American woman guilty of adopted child’s death

BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – A 63-year-old American national, will be sentenced on March 14 after she was found guilty of cruelty to a child.

High Court Judge Derick Sylvester remanded Anke Doehm to prison until her sentencing after a nine-member jury unanimously found her guilty of willfully neglecting her adopted daughter between January 1, 2017 and July 3,  2017, in San Pedro Town.

Despite Doehm’s claims of innocence, the Director of Public Prosecution Cheryl Lynn Vidal argued that the child Fay Lin Cannon, 13, suffered neglect and malnutrition, ultimately leading to her death.

During the trial, the DPP presented several pieces of evidence, including testimony from Cannon’s sister and medical reports, alleging that Doehm failed to provide proper care for her daughter, leading to her death from chest compression injuries.

Doehm’s attorney, Adolph Lucas Senior, argued that it was Doehm’s husband who was responsible for Fay Lin’s death. He said that Fay Lin was entrusted to David Doehm who committed suicide months later.

Lucas told the jury that his client left Fay Lin in David’s care after she was diagnosed with cancer. But the jury unanimously found Doehm responsible for Fay Lin’s death.

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