The case of Andrew AJ Freund is a harrowing and tragic story that has left a deep scar on the collective conscience of society. A young boy who complained to doctors about the terrible things his own mother was doing to him only to meet his heartbreaking fate reminds us of the urgency of protecting children and the consequences of failing to act decisively.
In the early stages of this heart-wrenching story, Andrew’s desperate cry for help manifests itself in a doctor’s office in Illinois. It was here that he plucked up the courage to say seven words that should have set off alarm bells throughout the system: “Maybe someone hit me with the belt.” These words, spoken by a mere five-year-old, carried the weight of a terrible truth that had yet to be fully deciphered.
Andrew’s parents, Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham are now accused of the unthinkable – murdering their own son. The revelation of Andrew’s tragic fate came too late, long after he had confided in doctors and authorities had been alerted to the possibility of abuse. The timeline of events leading up to this horrific incident paints a chilling picture of systemic failures and missed opportunities.
One pivotal moment in the tragedy came in December, when law enforcement, prompted by an anonymous tip, visited Andrew’s home to check on his well-being. The visit was prompted by concern over a significant bruise on the young boy’s hip. It was the moment that should have been the tipping point, the moment when signs of possible abuse were revealed.
When asked about the origin of the bruise, Andrew initially attributed it to the family dog. However, the doctor who attended to him in the emergency room was not convinced. In an attempt to uncover the truth, the doctor began talking to the young boy, trying to understand if the injury was really the result of the dog’s actions, or if something far more sinister was at play.
He informed the doctor, “Maybe someone hit me with the belt.” “Maybe mom wasn’t trying to hurt me.
The Department of Children and Family Services received this report from the doctor. The boy’s bruises had various causes, but the doctor couldn’t pinpoint what caused them. The doctor speculated in the report that the bruise could have been caused by “a dog, a belt, or a football.” A month later, the case was closed for lack of evidence.
The boy was killed four months after AJ told the doctor the truth. His body was discovered buried in a small grave wrapped in plastic. Since then, his parents, Andrew Freund Sr., 60, and his mother, JoAnn Cunningham, 36, have been charged with killing their 5-year-old son.
A pathologist found that the youngster had suffered blunt force trauma which resulted in damage to the head.
DCFS maintained a large file on Andrew and his family. They have since released a trove of records demonstrating the depth of their interactions with Cunningham and Freund Sr. Between June 2015 and March 2016, DCFS agents visited the youth 17 times without prior notice to see how he was doing. The employee found no signs of abuse at that time and nothing suspicious was observed.
However, DCFS received a call to the hotline last week from an unidentified source claiming that AJ was being ignored.
The same day that AJ’s parents reported their son missing, they received this phone call. The boy’s shallow grave in Woodstock, about 10 miles from the family’s Crystal Lake home, was eventually discovered after authorities received information from the boy’s parents.
In 2012, DCFS was alerted to Cunningham’s suspected prescription drug abuse and mistreatment of her stepchild. These events occurred before AJ was born. Born into a troubled household, Cunningham’s eldest son experienced “environmental neglect and a harmful environment”.
Cunningham and AJ tested positive for opiates and benzodiazepines at the time of AJ’s birth. He was removed from her care for eight months before he was reunited with his biological parents.
The tragedy of Andrew AJ Freund is a painful chapter in our collective history – a chapter from which we must learn to prevent such suffering from befalling another child. It is a testament to the urgent need to create a society where every child is protected, nurtured, and given the opportunity to thrive. As we grapple with the sadness of this story, we also resolve to work tirelessly to prevent similar tragedies in the future and ensure that no child’s life is cut short before it has the chance to truly begin.
What kind of punishment do you think the parents of this dead boy should get?