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The Anna Belle Case: Did Her Stepmom or 8 Year Old Sister Kill Her?

Her new stepmother was arrested for her murder, but she claimed the toddler’s tiny 8-year-old sister actually did it. Who do you believe?

Holly Alexis.
5 min readJul 14, 2024

[Norfolk, VA]

Former sailor, Emily Defries (24), connected with a man named Brandon Belle while online and they started a relationship. The two were parents to children from previous relationships, but assumed that their mutual participation in the military and their love for parenting would really cause their love to flourish.

Brandon had an unidentified 8 year old daughter and a 20 month old daughter, Anna Belle, that he shared custody of with his ex-wife while Emily had an unidentified biological son.

Baby Anna Belle.

According to Emily, the living dynamic was great for the most part. Her young son meshed with Brandon’s daughters well as they shared snacks, had movie time, and played well together. However, before Emily decided to move in, Brandon warned her that his 8 year old daughter had a few behavioral issues and occasional violent outbursts. Despite hearing this news, Emily’s heart was still set on moving in and flourishing as a blended family.

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Holly Alexis.
Holly Alexis.

Written by Holly Alexis.

True Crime Follower. Writer. All articles are tossed together from the comfort of my couch. Show love through claps. Leave a nice comment, too!

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