Photo: Family Photo
The 5-year-old boy whoseparents are accused of killing himand burying his plastic-wrapped body in a shallow grave endured beatings and other heinous forms of abuse during his short life, prosecutors allege.
On April 15, Andrew Freund Sr., 60, and JoAnn Cunningham, 35, allegedly forced their son, Andrew “A.J.” Freund, “to remain in a cold shower for an extended period of time and/or struck [him] on or about his body, knowing such acts would cause the death of [him],” prosecutors said in a criminal complaint filed Thursday in McHenry County Circuit Court, theChicago Sun-Times, theChicago Tribune,CNN and other outlets report.
JoAnn Cunningham, 35, and Andrew Freund, Sr., 60.Crystal Lake Police Department (2)
Police arrested Cunningham and Freund on Wednesday after showing them a “forensic analysis of cell phone data,” which allegedly led the pair to divulge “information that ultimately led to the recovery” of A.J.’s body, Crystal Lake Police Chief James Black said at a press conference Wednesday.
Both face a slew of charges including first-degree murder, aggravated battery and failure to report the death of a child, online court records show.
They are being held on a $5 million bond and will be arraigned Monday.
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Their attorneys did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
“A.J. is no longer suffering and his killers have been brought to justice,” Black said at the press conference.
JoAnne Cunningham of Crystal Lake, Illinois.Crystal Lake Police Department
The boy was returned to his family when he was 18 months old.
But DCFSvisited the family’s home 17 timesover the years, local station ABC 7, theSun-Times, theTribune,and other outlets report.
Andrew Freund, Sr., of Crystal Lake, Illinois.
Officials had found the home severely dilapidated, with broken windows and, at times, no electricity for weeks, theSun-Timesreports.
The room where A.J. and his sibling slept smelled like feces and urine, theSun-Timesreports.
An autopsy is scheduled for Thursday to determine the child’s cause of death.
source: people.com
