Having six children made daily life "crazy" for Lisa Cunningham, but at the heart of all the work and racket was joy. Lisa was a mother of two from Mannum, South Australia, when she met American father-of-two Germayne Cunningham in the US. They married in 2015, lived in Phoenix, Arizona, and had two more kids, a boy and a girl.
While Germayne, a detective, worked for the Phoenix Police Department, Lisa, who had moved to the US years before with her first husband, took on the demanding role of homemaker for their bunch of six.
"We had a big house and a big yard, and three rescue dogs - terriers," said Lisa. "We did everything together: the gardening, washing the car, cooking. It was our big, crazy, beautiful family. I was happy."
Today, that domestic dream is merely a cherished memory for Lisa, who spends 23 hours a day in a jail cell the size of a bathroom. For more than four years, the Cunninghams have been awaiting trial on charges of the first-degree murder of Germayne's daughter and Lisa's stepdaughter, Sanaa, a seven-year-old who had been diagnosed with multiple conditions including the mental disorder schizophrenia.
If convicted of the charges, which both Lisa, 48, and Germayne, 43, vehemently deny, they face the death penalty. In Lisa's case, it would be the first time an Australian was executed in the US since the public lynching of a criminal gang during the California gold rush in the mid-1800s.
"I left Australia knowing that although other countries kill people for crimes, I'd never have to worry about that," Lisa told marie claire in a video call from her cell. "Because I'm not a criminal."
Maricopa County authorities disagree. The police and prosecution say the Cunninghams abused and restrained the girl, which led to her death from an infection.
Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
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Denne historien er fra December 2022-utgaven av Marie Claire Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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SHANNEN DOHERTY
The rebellious actor died in July after a nine-year battle with cancer. Zara Wong looks back at the legacy of a woman who always lived on her own terms
IN THE WILDS OF ALASKA
Nature served up a spectacular array of delights, while cruising the majestic waters of the far north.
Back to EARTH
In its earliest days, the farm bred draught horses for export. Now Tasmania's 1840 cottage Leighton House has been restored as a glorious getaway
ODE to LIGHT
Created by master perfumer Francis Kurkdjian in 2011, Elie Saab's Le Parfum has since gained a cult following and become an industry icon. Here, Sally Hunwick uncovers the origins of the stunning chypre floral scent
JEN ATKIN
The Ouai beauty guru is regularly called on by the Kardashians and a host of other A-listers. Here, she talks about hair, her beauty cupboard and how she keeps up her energy levels
A NEW DIRECTION
When she was 16, Jordan Lambropoulos told her surgeon she'd rather die than wake up with a colostomy bag. Today - 10 years, countless operations and 14,000 Instagram followers later - she's proof that a colostomy bag is not the end. In fact, it can be the beginning of a whole new life
LADY LUCK
Rosalía takes her accessories as seriously as she takes her art. The Spanish musician spent three years working on her much-lauded album Motomami, finessing the details and perfecting the finishing touches. And when it comes to her outfits, she's no less specific
Wait... superhero movies are cool now?
Who had Emma Corrin and Juno Temple as supervillians on their 2024 bingo card?
CURTAIN CALLING
Brisbane-born star Vidya Makan steps into the shoes of America's founding mother in the long-awaited return of Hamilton
LEIGH-ANNE
The English singer on colourism, freedom and reuniting Little Mix
