The names David And Anke Doehm burst into the national spotlight in July when their daughter Faye Lin Cannon was found dead in their San Pedro condo - the victim of neglect and abuse.
Well tonight, that story has taken a shocking twist: David Doehm was found dead in a Belize City hotel room - room 523 at the Princess Hotel and Casino. By all indications, he had taken his own life, and done so in a most unusual way. 7News has confirmed that Doehm was found with a suicide note beside him, and a plastic bag over his head which is consistent with asphyxiation.
But, it seems he went to lengths to make sure his end was quick: 7News has confirmed that police found a tank of nitrogen gas beside him. A receipt found in the room showed that he bought the tank of nitrogen, took it into the room - and used that to asphyxiate himself. The way nitrogen works is that breathing in the gas, reduces oxygen to dangerously low levels - knocking the person unconscious after one or two breaths, and kills them shortly after. The plastic bag is used to keep the gas in.
Police say that he checked in alone yesterday and we know that his body was found at around 12:30 by a cleaner. When our team got there at around 1:30 we saw a lot of police activity an ambulance arrive. The ambulance left - since that service does not transport the dead - and then police got in position to process the scene and remove the body.
That finished around 3:30 when the body was removed on a stretcher which had to be taken down 5 flights of stairs, wrapped in a yellow covering. From there it was put into the police truck and they left for the morgue.
His wife Anke Doehm was not there; she spent the day at a family court with her attorney Rachel Montejo in the case having to do with the custody of her other two daughters who are in foster care.
This evening, 7News was there when she came back to her Belize City apartment on Reggae Street in the Port Loyola area. She was in tears - having gotten the news of her husband's apparent suicide just a few hours earlier. Her attorney told us she's in a state of shock:...
Rachel Montejo - Attorney for Doehm
"We came out of court this afternoon, sometime after 3:00, I believe. Police were there to inform us of something and so we went by the police station, the CIB office. At this time, we have not been told much but for the fact that her husband passed away. So, we await further information from police tomorrow but my client was shocked about the news. Police informed us that it may be a suicide; it looks that way. But we've not been told. Yes, we are still waiting for information."
David Doehm emerges as one of the most confounding figures in recent memory. He was Faye Lin Cannon's stepfather; Anke Doehm had already adopted the child and her two sisters from China when they became a couple in Hawaii some years ago. Anke and David Doehm came to Belize in 2012. In July of this year, 13 year old, Faye Lin Cannon was found dead din the family's condo as a result of extreme physical and sexual abuse. There wasn't enough evidence to charge David and Anke Doehm for murder, so they were charged for cruelty to a child. The couple was forced to relocate to the Port Loyola area of Belize City where - as we show you earlier - they were renting an apartment from their bail bondsman. Reports are that he left the apartment yesterday at around 9:30 with a bag in his hand. Doehm reportedly went to another major city hotel, and then went to the Princess. Anke Doehm did know that her husband left to go to a hotel, in fact, this afternoon she reportedly went to different hotels including Princess to check where he was because she had not heard from him. She did see the early police activity at princess but did not know it was her husband they were there for. She returned back to court and was later informed of his suicide after it was confirmed.
His life ends with more questions than answers as his role in the death of Faye Lin Cannon is not known - but ending his life as he has in this manner, certainly suggests a man with a very heavy load. His wife Anke continues to face the charge of child cruelty, and is also in a custody dispute for her children….
Police are not calling it a suicide at this time and say a post mortem examination will be conducted.
Email
Print