AJ Freund

JoAnn Cunningham, the suburban Chicago woman who pleaded guilty in the death of her 5-year-old son AJ Freund, is challenging her conviction and 35-year sentence, saying she had postpartum depression and psychosis when she killed her son.

Certain statements made by two former child welfare workers who investigated abuse allegations involving 5-year-old Andrew “AJ” Freund, who was later beaten to death, cannot be used in their criminal prosecutions, the Illinois Attorney General’s Office said. Before their interviews for an inspector general’s investigation, Andrew Polovin and Carlos Acosta were informed that their statements could not be used against them, Assistant Attorney...

A former Illinois child welfare worker who investigated allegations of abuse involving a 5-year-old boy who was later beaten to death pleaded not guilty Thursday to child endangerment and reckless conduct charges.

Andrew Fruend, the father of Crystal Lake boy AJ Freund, was sentenced to 30 years for the 5-year-old boy’s death. NBC 5’s Charlie Wojciechowski reports.

An Illinois father charged in the death of his 5-year-old son, AJ Freund, pleaded guilty to several charges Friday and was sentenced to 30 years behind bars by a judge.

An Illinois father charged in the death of his 5-year-old son, AJ Freund, is expected to appear in court Friday, where his attorney said a plea deal could be announced. Andrew Freund Sr. is scheduled to appear before a judge Friday afternoon, two days after his attorney and prosecutors told told the court negotiations were underway. The hearing is scheduled…

One of two former Illinois Department of Children and Family Services employees who oversaw AJ Freund’s case has pleaded not guilty to charges following the 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy’s tragic death.

One of two former Illinois Department of Children and Family Services employees who oversaw AJ Freund’s case and were charged following his death is scheduled for a court hearing Thursday.

Two former Illinois Department of Children and Family Services employees who oversaw AJ Freund’s case have been released on bond after they were arrested Thursday, according to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. NBC 5’s Chris Hush reports.

Two former Illinois Department of Children and Family Services employees who oversaw AJ Freund’s case have been released on bond after they were arrested Thursday, according to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.

Two former Illinois Department of Children and Family Services employees who oversaw AJ Freund’s case were arrested Thursday, according to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office.

JoAnn Cunningham, the mother of 5-year-old Andrew ‘AJ’ Freund, the young Crystal Lake boy whose disappearance sparked a massive manhunt before his body was found in a shallow grave in a far northwest Chicago suburb, has been transferred to a downstate prison, records show. Cunningham, who was sentenced last month to 35 years behind bars in her son’s murder, had…

JoAnn Cunningham, the mother of 5-year-old Andrew ‘AJ’ Freund, the young Crystal Lake boy whose disappearance sparked a massive manhunt before his body was found in a shallow grave in a far northwest Chicago suburb, was sentenced to prison Friday. Charlie Wojciechowski reports.

An Illinois judge handed JoAnn Cunningham a 35-year prison sentence in the murder of her son, 5-year-old AJ Freund.

JoAnn Cunningham, the mother of 5-year-old Andrew ‘AJ’ Freund, the young Crystal Lake boy whose disappearance sparked a massive manhunt before his body was found in a shallow grave in a far northwest Chicago suburb, was sentenced to prison.

JoAnn Cunningham, the mother of 5-year-old Andrew ‘AJ’ Freund, the young Crystal Lake boy whose disappearance sparked a massive manhunt before his body was found in a shallow grave in a far northwest Chicago suburb, was sentenced to prison Friday.

JoAnn Cunningham, the mother of 5-year-old Andrew ‘AJ’ Freund, the young Crystal Lake boy whose disappearance sparked a massive manhunt before his body was found in a shallow grave in a far northwest Chicago suburb, is set to learn her fate Friday.

The Illinois mother charged in the beating death of her 5-year-old son Andrew “AJ” Freund appeared in court Thursday morning, and she was nearly unrecognizable from when she appeared in public less than a year ago. NBC 5’s Natalie Martinez reports.

From time to time during her sentencing hearing on Thursday, JoAnn Cunningham had to move her surgical mask to wipe away tears as prosecutors laid out much of the same evidence they would have presented at her trial for the murder of her 5-year-old son AJ Freund. The 37-year-old Crystal Lake woman is facing a maximum of 60 years behind…

After a day of testimony in her sentencing hearing, JoAnn Cunningham stood before a judge and gave an emotional speech in which she said she misses AJ and her other children.