Lisa Cunningham: South Australian mum faces death row
LISA Cunningham could be the first Australian woman to face the death penalty in the US, but many believe she is innocent.
AUSTRALIAN woman Lisa Cunningham, described by a US lawyer as the author of her own “evil Cinderella” story, could be the innocent victim of a flawed investigation into the death of her stepdaughter, according to those who know her.
Cunningham could be the first Australian woman to face the death penalty in the United States if she is found guilty of the alleged murder last year of seven-year-old Sanaa Cunningham, for which she is charged alongside her husband, the little girl’s father, former police detective Germayne Cunningham.
In family photos obtained by News Corp Australia, their family presents as a happy mix of six children — two each for Lisa and Germayne from their former marriages and two shared children they called “the babies”.
The pair, who met through work around 2003 but did not marry until their respective marriages broke down around 2011, lived in several rented homes in the Arizona capital before Sanaa died in February last year.
Initially an autopsy listed the cause of death as “complications of sepsis in the setting of acute bronchitis, with bronchiolitis and early bronchopneumonia”. The manner of death was left “undetermined.”
They were charged with Sanaa’s murder last December after police investigated allegations of child abuse and prosecutors brought their evidence to the Maricopa County grand jury.
But they remained on bail until last week — with ankle bracelets and a curfew — when prosecutors successfully applied for the death penalty to be available as a sentence should they be found guilty.
While their trial is not scheduled until at least mid 2020, a series of court hearings has heard detail of horrific abuse and neglect of Sanaa.
Some evidence remains sealed but the allegations include restraining her with cable ties, subduing her with a weighted jacket and forcing her outside to rake pebbles and pick up dog faeces while wearing just a nappy in the blazing Arizona summer.
Lisa, 43 and Germayne, 39, have argued that what looked like neglect, such as locking her onto a terrace to sleep, were necessary in order to protect Sanaa — who they say suffered from a host of mental illnesses — and her siblings.
Lisa’s older daughter Cierra Anderson, 20, last week also said her mother had never abused Sanaa, who she said was “completely normal until she turned six. That was when the decline started, and we all had to watch it. She would become catatonic, or else she’d throw things, try to hurt us. She’d scream, and my parents would sit up and cry all night with her.”
Neighbours at a house where they briefly lived last year expressed shock when they learned the identity of the quiet family from across the street at Kristi Ln.
“No way! Is that them? I would never have believed that,” said one neighbour who asked to remain anonymous.
“I am a foster carer and sometimes I yell at my kids, but in that house you never heard anything. They were very quiet”.
Sanaa’s biological mother Sylvia Norwood believes her daughter was being mistreated, and it was mainly at Lisa’s instigation.
“The child was taking up a significant amount of time and attention for whatever reason,” said Sylvia’s lawyer Quacy Smith.
“I believe you ended with the Cinderella story that didn’t end up with the missing slipper and the prince’s palace. You ended a with a casket and broken hearts and troubled spirits and I think part of the motivation of it was that (Lisa thought) ‘it’s not my child’.”
Mr Smith is also a bishop at Sylvia’s family church and had known Sanaa her whole short life.
“I watched the kids grow up,” he said
“She was the sweetest, most loveable little thing you would ever want to meet in your life. I remember there were days after church she would just run up and give me the biggest hug.
“There was nothing wrong, she interacted with all the kids.
“All this stuff that was purported or alleged; I never recall seeing any of it and I know these kids. They were born and raised right here in the church together.”
Lisa’s Mannum-based cousin Donna Roesler said yesterday there was “no way” she had hurt Sanaa.
“I know that Lisa is a very kind, loving person who would help anyone out if they needed it,” she said.
“I really don’t believe Lisa would intentionally hurt another human being especially young child no matter what issues they had.”