AJ Freund: Police charge parents with killing 5-year-old after discovering video evidence of beatings
Police find video evidence of five-year-old's alleged beatings from parents before untimely death
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Your support makes all the difference.The parents of five-year-old AJ Freund were arrested on murder charges after an analysis of their cellphones led police to a groundbreaking discovery.
JoAnn Cunningham and Andrew Freund Sr have both been charged with murder after the father led authorities to his son’s body in a shallow grave 10 miles from their home in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
Police reportedly discovered video showing AJ suffering from numerous face injuries in a video that was deleted from one of their phones, along with other possible evidence found during an analysis of the parent’s devices.
“AJ is seen to (be) naked except for some small bandages around both wrists and circling his hips," court documents about the newly-discovered video read. "AJ is seen to be holding an ice pack to his face and when he removes it he is seen to have deep red bruising around his eyes."
According to the court filings, the father said his wife was responsible for the injuries after being confronted with the video, before claiming “he believed AJ died on Monday morning after spending a prolonged time in a cold shower”.
“Drew explained he wanted Joann to stop with the hard physical beatings and do some less violent form of punishment,” the filings read. “Drew said cold showers was decided (as the alternative)."
Crystal Lake Deputy Police Chief Tom Kotlowski described the boy’s parents as “killers” in a statement posted on the department’s Facebook page.
“To AJ’s family, it is our hope that you may have some solace in knowing that AJ is no longer suffering and his killers have been brought to justice,” the statement read. “To AJ, we know you are at peace playing in heaven’s playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer.”
The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper reported earlier this week that police had been concerned at least since September the five-year-old lived with his parents and younger brother.
The paper said that according to police reports the home was cluttered, dirty and in disrepair, with broken windows and the overwhelming smell of faeces. AJ’s younger brother has been taken into protective custody, the Sun-Times reported.
Both parents were arrested on suspicion of first degree murder, aggravated battery and failure to report a dead child.
It is not known whether either has had a chance to enter a plea, or has been assigned a lawyer.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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