US Parents Detained For 13 Year Old Daughter Found Dead in San Pedro, Police Say Abuse
Tonight there is a very ugly and tragic story coming out of San Pedro. This 13 year old, Faye Lin Cannon is dead, and she appears to have died as a result of extreme physical and sexual abuse. The parents called police to their condominium unit on northern Ambergris Caye on Monday morning, saying the teenager was unresponsive. Her mother Anke Doehm told police that Faye woke up at 7:00 am, asked for water and went back to bed. 15 minutes later, her father, David Doehm found the child unresponsive. They called the police and a doctor confirmed that she was dead. But this was no ordinary death that the young girl endured. Her body was seen with multiple bruises to the arms and legs, plus she had a swelling on the right side of her head with a cut wound on top of the swollen area.Her parents explained it by saying that Faye was mentally ill and would hit herself against the walls during her attacks. They also claimed that the teenager had been inside her room for the three weeks refusing to step outside or eat anything. Her mother added that Faye had complained of difficulty breathing on Sunday, July 2nd.
And while that's what they said, a post mortem examination conducted in Belize City yesterday found very differently. First the doctor observed that that the child had been physically and sexually abused. And second, It found that she died of chest compression, basically someone pressed down on her chest so hard that it broke three of her ribs, and punctured her heart.
It's a story that almost defies comprehension, and one that has shocked and shaken the San Pedro Community. Faye was born in China - and taken in by her adoptive parents who came to Belize from Hawaii in 2012. Her mother owns and manages a boutique in San Pedro, called Rubimoon where Faye could be often seen, along with her three sisters.
Tonight, those sisters are in the care of the Department of Human Services and the US Embassy. Via telephone San Pedro police discussed what they know so far:...
Supt. Henry Jemmott, OC - San Pedro
"We have clear facts that a 13 year old child lost her life. The post mortem report is out there and the police is investigating this matter very carefully."
Jules Vasquez
"Her parents, are they still in custody? When were they detained and do they remain detained at this time?"
Supt. Henry Jemmott, OC - San Pedro
"They were detained this morning and they are in custody pending investigation. I don't want to draw a timeline on the arrest of anyone at this time."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you seeking advice on what charges could or may be brought?"
Supt. Henry Jemmott, OC - San Pedro
"The doctors and the officials have stated that it is a homicide."
Jules Vasquez
"Had they sought medical attention for the child? Had the child been to any of the clinics out on San Pedro?"
Supt. Henry Jemmott, OC - San Pedro
"Jules, there is nothing to suggest that, that child was ill over a time, there is no medical records to state that that was so."
Jules Vasquez
"We have seen the police report and the conclusion is that is that there was physical and sexual abuse, but had the child been malnourished or dehydrated? Because I know the parents said that she had been in her room for 3 weeks not taking any nourishment."
Supt. Henry Jemmott, OC - San Pedro
"Physical, meaning she was abused in the form of sexual. That is the physical type they are talking about. So, we are investigating that angle to try to find if what is speculated, occurred."
Jules Vasquez
"In the report it is also stated that she would physically hit herself against the wall during her attack."
Supt. Henry Jemmott, OC - San Pedro
"Maybe that is what they are saying. Our job is to ascertain of that occurred, when it occurred and what did they do in relation to that."
Jules Vasquez
"They have 4 girls I am told. Are you all looking in to the situation on the wellbeing of the other girls?"
Supt. Henry Jemmott, OC - San Pedro
"Yes. I must explain to you that we are dealing with this case very professionally. I could say that the human development officer had already come into effect, along with the US counselors. So those are the person who will be in charge of the kids."
Jules Vasquez
"Was she indeed mentally ill as they have claimed? Because those who have seen her say she seems like a normal child."
Supt. Henry Jemmott, OC - San Pedro
"What we are doing right now is doing an investigation into every aspect of this situation. What we would like is for the general public if they have any information to add to our case, for them to come forward to the station, call the 911 line or the police station number which is 206-2022."
Her parents remain detained tonight, and as you heard San Pedro police wouldn't discuss possible charges. We will keep following the case very closely.
American Parents Detained for Daughter's Death in San Pedro
A teenage girl was found dead at a resort in San Pedro and police are investigating as a case of murder because a post mortem concludes that the child was physical and sexually abused. The body of thirteen-year-old Faye Lin Cannon also had a large swelling to the head and bruises on the arm and legs. Her adopted parents, an American couple, are in police custody pending charges of murder and sexual assault.� The couple have told police the child was mentally challenged, but there is little to go by at this time to verify the mental state of the girl. Three other adopted siblings have been removed from the care of the parents. News Five's Duane Moody reports on this very disturbing story.
Duane Moody, Reporting�
An American couple is tonight in police custody pending charges for murder and sexual assault following investigation into the death of their thirteen-year-old adopted daughter. Fay Lin Cannon was found dead inside her room at the family’s rented condo one and a half miles north of San Pedro, at Grand Caribe. A doctor was called in before the police arrived to process the scene.
Supt. Henry Jemmott, Regional Commander, Coastal Executive Unit
"On the third of July, 2017 sometime around eight o’clock, police were called out to a hotel north of San Pedro�about a mile and a half north of San Pedro. The report was that a lifeless body of a female was at an apartment at that area. Upon arrival to that location, police saw the lifeless body of a thirteen year old female, Chinese descent, who we learnt to be a nationalized American. Immediately, police went into action and start doing their investigation. We saw some visible signs of bruising on the body so what we did was to secure the scene and commence an intense investigation.�� We have two persons in custody at this present moment, who are detained for this incident."
Duane Moody
"Can you confirm sir that the persons detained are the adopted parents of the deceased?"
"Yes, those are the persons who were at the location at the time of the police arriving at that location."
Since Monday, the family store Rubi Moon, located across from the offices of the San Pedro Town Council has been closed; a black bow indicates that they are mourning the death of a loved one. But just before eight o’clock this morning, David and Anke Doehm were detained by police following a post mortem on Cannon’s body which revealed that she was physically and sexually abused. Although the adopted mother in a statement to police claims that the minor was mentally ill and would throw herself into a wall and hurt herself, the post mortem also reveals that there was trauma to her chest.
Supt. Henry Jemmott
"The cause of the death from the post-mortem is compression on the chest causing internal haemorrhage; asphyxia. So at this time we are treating it as a homicide or murder and we are doing our utmost best to investigate this last incident that has occurred in San Pedro."
"Now sir, the post mortem has also found that the minor had been physically and sexually abused. Is that right?"
Supt. Henry Jemmott
"At this point, I would say yes, but we would not like to speculate. We want to do more investigation into the matter and try to see if this is what actually occurred and to try to get other physical evidence to support that as well."
The family has been living on San Pedro since 2014 and recently relocated north of the island. Cannon had three other sisters, who were also adopted by the American couple. Today, her siblings were taken under the care of Human Services. Regional Commander of the Coastal Executive Unit, Superintendent Henry Jemmott says that the U.S. Embassy has since been contacted.
"The Human Development Office has been working in collaboration with us and with the U.S. Embassy, because these children are U.S. citizens. So we are working with them also to further the investigation to also check if they were sexually abused. If so, then we will do our best to investigate that as well. The children are presently with the Human Development and a counsellor from the U.S. Embassy will be also taking custody of these children and having see their safe care for the duration as the investigation continues."
Police investigating death of 13-year-old Faye Lin Cannon
San Pedro Police are currently investigating the death of an American minor believed to have been physically and sexually abused. According to official reports, police responded to a "Sudden Death" alert at a hotel approximately one and a half miles North Ambergris Caye where they discovered the body of 13-year-old Faye Lin Cannon. Present at the scene were the child's adopted parents, two American nationals, David and Anke Doehm.
The mother reported to police that at about 7AM on Monday, July 3rd, Faye woke up and asked for water and went back to bed. About 15 minutes later, her husband went to check on the child and realized she was unresponsive. After police arrived at the scene, Faye was pronounced dead at 8:57AM. The body was observed to have bruises to the arms, legs and there was a swelling to the right side of the head which appeared to be a cut wound.
During initial investigations, Faye's parents testified that she was mentally ill and would physically hit herself against the walls during her attacks. They also claimed that the child had been inside her room for the past three weeks refusing to come out or eat anything. According to the mother, Faye had complained of difficulty breathing on Sunday, July 2nd. The body was later transported to the Karl Huesnuer Memorial Hospital in Belize City where a post mortem examination conducted indicated that the child had been physically and sexually abused and the cause of death due to compression on the chest causing internal hemorrhage. Both parents have since been detained by San Pedro Police, pending investigation and charges.
Click here to read the rest of the article in the San Pedro Sun