Crystal Lake Police Prepare For Crowds Expected At A.J. Freund's Visitation Friday
Police in northwest suburban Crystal Lake are preparing for large crowds expected at a public visitation for AJ Freund on Friday.
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Police in northwest suburban Crystal Lake are preparing for large crowds expected at a public visitation for AJ Freund on Friday.
The murder of 5-year-old A.J. Freund has united the Crystal Lake community, and one family is creating a unique program to help foster children find a sense of home.
The parents of 5-year-old A.J. Freund are back in court today, to be arraigned on charges they forced their son to stand in a cold shower for an extended time, and then beat him to death.
Four months before 5-year-old A.J. Freund was killed, he told a doctor "maybe someone hit me with a belt. Maybe mommy didn't mean to hurt me" after police found a mysterious bruise on his hip, according to a timeline released by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Crystal Lake police on Thursday said people have been calling police to ask where to donate money to the brother of AJ Freund, the Crystal Lake boy who died last week after being beaten by his parents.
Four months before 5-year-old A.J. Freund's parents allegedly beat him to death, there appear to be significant discrepancies between a police report noting deplorable conditions inside the family's house, and a home visit by a DCFS investigator the next day, which ultimately deemed an allegation of neglect to be unfounded.
New information is expected to be revealed Friday in the case of AJ Freund, the 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy whose parents are charged in his murder.
One late night during a snow storm she says she heard calls for help coming from the family's car. The boys were yelling they were cold.
A.J. Freund's parents forced the 5-year-old into a cold shower for an extended period of time, and the 5-year-old was repeatedly struck all over his body, leading to his death, McHenry County prosecutors alleged in court Thursday morning.
Missing for nearly a week, the search for A.J. ended in a rural field, with his parents in jail and accused of dumping the 5-year-old's body in a shallow grave about eight miles from the family's Crystal Lake home.
Who failed A.J. Freund? His parents are arrested and charged in his death and accused of hiding his body. But they weren't the only ones involved in his life.
The parents of a 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy, who were charged with his murder, have prior criminal records, ranging from retail theft to battery.
Both of 5-year-old A.J. Freund's parents, Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham, have been charged with murder, after a body believed to be the missing 5-year-old boy was found buried in a shallow grave near Woodstock, more than seven miles from his family's home in Crystal Lake.
"We know you are at peace playing in heaven's playground and are happy you no longer have to suffer."
Crystal Lake police planned to provide an update Wednesday on their investigation into the disappearance of 5-year-old Andrew "A.J." Freund, who was reported missing last week.
While searchers are still looking for Andrew "A.J." Freund, the missing 5-year-old boy from Crystal Lake, police have detailed previous contact with his family and stomach-churning conditions inside the home.
The latest visit was this past December. An officer clearly stated the house is "cluttered, dirty and in disrepair." Officers said they saw dog feces and urine throughout the house. This was in the middle of winter and officers said the windows were falling apart. The rooms cold.
DCFS investigated Cunningham for neglect back in 2013 after Andrew was born with opiates in his system. The agency took Andrew into protective custody and placed him in a foster home. He returned home in 2015 and records show the case was closed in 2016.
The 911 call the father of missing boy A.J. Freund made the morning the 5-year-old was reported missing was released to CBS 2 Tuesday morning.
The timeline of the A.J. Freund case.
As Crystal Lake Police continue to investigate the disappearance of 5-year-old Andrew "A.J." Freund, his mother will be in court in an effort to regain custody of her younger son, Parker.
It's been nearly five days since 5-year-old Andrew "A.J." Freund disappeared from his home in Crystal Lake, and it's still a mystery what happened to him.
A call for comfort echoed through a Crystal Lake park as people gathered with candles and looks of concern for a missing five-year-old.
A day after 5-year-old Andrew "A.J." Freund went missing from his home in northwest suburban Crystal Lake, police said there is no indication he was abducted, and did not walk away from his house. Their search is now focused on the family's home.
A 5-year-old boy has been reported missing in northwest suburban Crystal Lake.
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