Judge OKs release of father, stepmother accused in Arizona girl's death
PHOENIX - Eight years have passed since a former Phoenix Police officer and his wife faced allegations of abusing and murdering his 7-year-old daughter.
The couple spent the past seven years in jail, but on March 10, a judge ordered new release conditions as prosecutors are no longer seeking the death penalty.
Ex-Phoenix Officer, wife request jail release in daughter's murder case
It's been eight years since a former Phoenix Police officer and his wife were accused of abusing and murdering their seven-year-old daughter. Here's why they're asking to be released before their trial begins.
The backstory:
The December 2017 indictment alleges 10 counts of child abuse and the first-degree murder of 7-year-old Sanaa Cunningham.
Sanaa died while in the custody of her father, former Phoenix Police Det. Germayne Cunningham, and stepmother Lisa Cunningham.
The child's biological mother, Silvia Norwood, reportedly called Glendale Police two months before her death for a welfare check.
Germayne Cunningham and Lisa Cunningham
Norwood spoke with FOX 10 following the judge's decision.
She said it was photos she saw on Facebook of Sanaa that immediately raised flags.
"Anybody would have noticed she didn’t look the same. She didn’t look like that same child," Norwood said.
'I never got a chance to say goodbye'
She looked frail, sad, and quiet, she said, adding that the young girl appeared to have lost her joy.
"They may have taken her the way they did, but I still have her right here," Norwood said, while lightly patting her chest.
The indictment claims there was 10 months of child abuse before Sanaa’s death, with allegations the child was zip-tied inside a pack-and-play the day before she was taken to the hospital, and later died.
"I never got a chance to say goodbye," Norwood said.
The other side:
Lisa's lawyer, Eric Kessler, says this case involves medical negligence.
"The Cunninghams, for about a year before the child died, tried to move mountains to get appropriate medical care," Kessler said.
The case has the Australian government involved on Lisa’s defense.
‘There is certainly no crime here’
"Lisa, being an Australian citizen, has received a lot of help from the Australian government from their state department. They are just as flummoxed as the defense and all of our experts. There is certainly no crime here, much less a murder," he said.
Judge Patricia Starr set a half a million dollar secured bond for the Cunninghams with supervision and electronic monitoring.
Their trial is set for July.
"Until then, there is no closure. I am still not grieving how one should be able to grieve," Norwood said.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety was reportedly called multiple times on the father, with an active case pending when Sanaa died.
What's next:
Their trial is set for July.This trial is expected to take 8–12 weeks, with a dozen medical experts scheduled to take the stand.