The Illinois mother charged in the beating death of her 5-year-old son Andrew “AJ” Freund, a Crystal Lake boy who was reported missing before his body was found in a shallow grave in a far northwest suburb, will learn her fate on April 30. Joann Cunningham, 36, recently changed her plea to guilty and will face 20 to 60 years in prison….

The Illinois mother charged in the beating death of her 5-year-old son Andrew “AJ” Freund, a Crystal Lake boy who was reported missing before his body was found in a shallow grave in a far northwest suburb, appeared in court Thursday morning. Joann Cunningham, 36, recently changed her plea to guilty and will face 20 to 60 years in prison. She...

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.

The father accused in the beating death of “AJ” Freund , a 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy whose body was found in a shallow grave in a far northwest suburb last year, is expected to appear in court Tuesday.

The father accused in the beating death of “AJ” Freund , a 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy whose body was found in a shallow grave in a far northwest suburb last year, appeared in court Tuesday.

WARNING: This story contains disturbing details that may be difficult for some viewers to read. The Illinois mother charged in the beating death of her 5-year-old son Andrew “AJ” Freund, a Crystal Lake boy who was reported missing before his body was found in a shallow grave in a far northwest suburb, has pleaded guilty to murder.  Joann Cunningham, 36, had...

The mother of 5-year-old AJ Freund has pleaded guilty in his murder, and NBC 5’s Chris Hush has the story.

The estate of the 5-year-old northern Illinois boy who was beaten to death and buried in a shallow grave this year has filed a lawsuit contending that two state child welfare workers ignored clear signs that the boy was being abused months before his death.

The estate of the 5-year-old northern Illinois boy who was beaten to death and buried in a shallow grave this year has filed a lawsuit contending that two state child welfare workers ignored clear signs that the boy was being abused months before his death. NBC 5’s Michelle Relerford reports.

For many who lived nearby, the house at 94 Dole Avenue was simply a home on a quiet Crystal Lake block. But the death of a young child earlier this year revealed the alleged horrors that went on inside the dwelling, which will now forever be known as the home where AJ Freund died.

For many who lived nearby, the house at 94 Dole Avenue was simply a home on a quiet Crystal Lake block. But the death of a young child earlier this year revealed the alleged horrors that went on inside the dwelling, which will now forever be known as the home where AJ Freund died. NBC 5’s Kate Chappell reports.

They stand accused of killing their 5-year-old son, and they pleaded not guilty in his murder. NBC 5’s Michelle Relerford has the story. 

New details emerged Wednesday on the turning point in the AJ Freund investigation.

The grandmother and foster family of a 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy who was allegedly killed by his parents and buried in a shallow grave in a northwest Chicago suburb released a statement Tuesday saying they were “abruptly” cut out of the boy’s life in the years before his death.

The Crystal Lake parents accused of murdering their 5-year-old son, Andrew “AJ” Freund, are expected to return to court Monday.

The Crystal Lake parents accused of murdering their 5-year-old son, Andrew ‘AJ’ Freund, returned to court Monday. NBC 5’s Kate Chappell has the latest details.

This week’s news of 5-year-old AJ Freund’s murder, allegedly by his parents, coincides with the heartbreaking anniversary of the death of toddler Semaj Crosby of Joliet, who was found dead under her family’s couch two years ago. NBC 5 Investigates’ Katie Kim reports.

This week’s news of 5-year-old AJ Freund’s murder, allegedly by his parents, coincides with the heartbreaking anniversary of the death of toddler Semaj Crosby of Joliet, who was found dead under her family’s couch two years ago.

The parents of Andrew “AJ” Freund were each ordered held on $5 million bonds Thursday, one day after they were both charged in the death and disappearance of their 5-year-old son from their home in Crystal Lake, Illinois.