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Trial begins for ex-Phoenix officer, wife accused of daughter's murder
Opening statements began Sept. 24 for the former Phoenix police officer and his wife accused of child abuse and first-degree murder in the 2017 death of their 7-year-old daughter.
PHOENIX - A former Phoenix police officer and his wife are on trial for the murder of his 7-year-old daughter.
Opening statements began Sept. 24 in what is expected to be a lengthy trial.
What we know:
The former police detective, Germayne Cunningham, and his wife, Lisa Cunningham, are charged with 11 counts of child abuse and first-degree murder.
The state showed the 18-person jury photos and video of 7-year-old Sanaa Cunningham in the months leading up to her death.
The backstory:
Sanaa Cunningham died in February 2017 at Phoenix Children's Hospital.
Medical records state that sepsis and cardiac arrest led to her death, after a year of rapid decline. Her parents took her to five different doctors who diagnosed her with unspecified schizophrenia spectrum disorder, saying she self-harmed, had issues eating, and was prescribed a list of medications. The state claims the Cunninghams used home remedies over doctor's recommendations for inpatient care.
Photos from three months before her death show 7-year-old Sanaa locked in a laundry room, naked with only a plastic lawn chair. The Cunninghams taped gloves to her hands and forced her to wear goggles. Additional photos show Sanaa lying naked on a pile of trash, malnourished and frail.
The defense states that all of these actions were to protect the child from herself.
The state also claims the defendants deleted photos and text messages leading up to Sanaa's death as a cover-up. Germayne Cunningham's defense attorney argues that all the photos and videos admitted into evidence were taken by the parents out of concern to show doctors the side effects of the child's prescription. The defense states that Sanaa suffered from a devastating mental illness.
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A Maricopa County judge gave the OK to release Germayne Cunningham and Lisa Cunningham from jail months ahead of their trial for allegedly abusing and murdering Germayne's daughter in 2017.
What they're saying:
"At least five medical professionals recommended inpatient or psychiatric care… she can’t even bring this cup up to her mouth to drink and it doesn’t even show the large hematoma on the front of her head that she had until her death," a prosecutor said during the hearing. "What you will hear from the people in that house is that she was listless, she was unresponsive."
"Germayne Cunningham is not a doctor. Sanaa died from a silent infection, and they call that murder," the defense attorney said. "Germayne immediately acted when she displayed signs of being ill. Germayne did not hesitate but acted immediately."
Before Sanaa’s death, there were three reports made to DCS, including one from the defendant’s own mother.
What's next:
Lisa Cunningham’s attorney is scheduled to begin their opening statement on Sept. 25.
The Source: This information was gathered by FOX 10's Kenzie Beach, who attended the court appearance on Sept. 24.