03/23/2026
On April 18, 2019, 5-year-old Andrew Freund Jr. — known as AJ — was reported missing from his home in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
His father, Andrew Freund Sr., called 911, claiming AJ had disappeared overnight. His mother, JoAnn Cunningham, appeared in media interviews asking for help finding her son. But investigators quickly noticed inconsistencies in their story.
There were no signs of forced entry. No evidence of an abduction. And when police looked deeper, the home told its own story. Body camera footage from prior welfare checks showed severe neglect — filthy living conditions, garbage piled high, and signs of instability. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services had previously investigated the family multiple times over abuse concerns, yet AJ remained in the home.
As detectives analyzed phone data, they uncovered disturbing internet searches, including queries related to child injuries and concealing bruises. Under mounting pressure, Andrew Sr. eventually confessed that AJ had been beaten after an incident involving soiled underwear. According to court records, the punishment escalated — and AJ was later forced into a cold shower. He was bruised, hypothermic, and ultimately died from blunt force trauma and exposure.
Instead of calling for help, authorities said the parents kept AJ’s body inside the home for days. His remains were later wrapped in plastic and buried in a shallow grave in a rural area. An autopsy confirmed AJ died from blunt-force injuries combined with hypothermia.
In 2022, JoAnn Cunningham pleaded guilty to first-degree m*rder and was sentenced to 35 years in prison. Andrew Freund Sr., who admitted to helping conceal the crime, received a 30-year sentence. The case sparked widespread outrage, particularly over prior DCFS involvement and missed opportunities to intervene. What began as a frantic missing child report ended with the exposure of prolonged abuse — and a community left questioning how so many warning signs went unanswered.