CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The parents charged with the death and disappearance of their 5-year-old son Andrew "AJ" Freund pleaded not guilty Friday, following a grand jury indictment on Thursday.
JoAnn Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund Sr., 60 were each indicted on multiple counts, including murder, aggravated battery, and concealing a homicide, by a grand jury on Thursday, McHenry County court records show. The indictments also include charges related to two other alleged incidents.
Cunningham and Freund Sr. were arrested and initially charged on Apr. 24, the same day police found AJ's body. They each face multiple charges of murder, aggravated battery, and concealment of a homicide, among other crimes. The two remain in custody at the McHenry County jail on $5 million bail.
That same day, a judge set bail at $5 million each for Cunningham and Freund Sr. as the two appeared in court for separate bond hearings. According to a criminal complaint, AJ Freund died three days before his parents reported him missing. The Crystal Lake boy was reported missing on April 18, but it appears he died on April 15.
According to court documents, both JoAnn Cunningham and Andrew Freund Sr. forced AJ into a cold shower "for an extended period of time", and the 5-year-old was repeatedly struck, leading to his death. Freund Sr. later found AJ dead in his bed at their home in Crystal Lake, and buried him in a shallow grave. AJ’s parents falsely reported him missing three days later. Police found AJ's body nearly a week later wrapped in plastic in a shallow grave in Woodstock on April 24.