Memory Of AJ Freund Lives On 5 Years After Death

CRYSTAL LAKE, IL — Five years ago, authorities say 5-year-old AJ Freund died inside his home in Crystal Lake. Three days later, his father, Andrew Freund, 60, placed a 911 call.

"We have a missing child. We woke up this morning, and he wasn't there," Freund told the dispatcher on the morning of April 18, 2019.

He and AJ's mother, 36-year-old JoAnn Cunningham, told authorities that they last saw AJ at 9:30 p.m. on April 17 when the boy went to bed.

From there, AJ became a household name. And the search began.

While local authorities headed the widespread and exhaustive search efforts, area residents could be seen in Crystal Lake walking their neighborhoods, peeking in window wells and neighbors' backyards and carefully scoping out their playhouses and playgrounds, hoping AJ would be found and returned to his home.

Initially, authorities were not sure if AJ walked away from the residence, was abducted or if someone he knew was responsible for his disappearance. Police officers went door to door. Helicopters hovered overhead, and K9 units and police officers went in and out of 94 Dole Ave. — AJ's home in an otherwise quiet and nice neighborhood in Crystal Lake.

Days later, the public would learn that AJ had been killed — murdered by his parents, authorities said — inside that home as a punishment for lying about soiled underwear, court documents alleged.

Almost a week later, on April 24, police brought Andrew Freund Sr. in for questioning. He finally confessed, officials said, and told police where he buried his son's body, which was then found wrapped in plastic and recovered from a shallow grave near Woodstock.

Five years later, AJ's story still resonates with many throughout the area.

Currently, his mother, JoAnn Cunningham is serving a 35-year prison sentence at Logan Correctional Facility in Lincoln. A jury found the 40-year-old former Crystal Lake woman guilty of murdering AJ in July 2020.

Her projected parole date is April 24, 2054, and her projected discharge date is April 24, 2057, according to IDOC. This means she will be in her early 70s when she is released.

• I'd Give My Life To Get AJ Back': Cunningham
  

AJ's father, Andrew Freund, is serving a 30-year prison sentence at Logan Correctional Center with a projected parole date of Feb. 26, 2038, and a projected discharge date of Feb. 28, 2041. This meant the 64-year-old man will be in his late 70s or early 80s when he is released.

• AJ Freund's Father Pleads Guilty, Sentenced To 30 Years

AJ's age and the fact he endured abuse through much of his young life — and was not saved despite several visits by the Department of Children Family Services — are among the reasons his story has had such a profound effect on residents living in and around Crystal Lake, Crystal Lake Mayor Haig Haleblian told Patch in an interview last year.

"As a parent and as a grandparent, it certainly resonates with me — it was just an unthinkable murder," he said. "And I think it's a shame that our system is such that quicker action isn't available to those who have no voice."

Authorities responded to several calls at 94 Dole Ave. over the years, and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services visited multiple times.

Haleblian said AJ's case is a prime example of how broken the child welfare system is.

"I wish that the system to save children, all children in this predicament, was allowed to actually save the kids. But our system does not allow that," Haleblian said. "And it's not the police department's fault, the police can only do so much."

"It's a very frustrating, agonizing system for those innocents that are being held in a horrific and unthinkable situation," he added. "We need a system where the courts are more proactive ... but they really protect the parents more than the children."

This past year the DCFS worker tasked with handling AJ's case, Carlos Acosta, 57, was found guilty on charges of endangering the life of a child and health of a minor, Class 3 felonies, and reckless conduct, a Class 4 felony. Meanwhile, Acosta's supervisor, Andrew Polovin, 50, who was also originally charged in connection with AJ's death, has been cleared of all charges.

• AJ Freund's DCFS Worker Guilty In Child Endangerment Case

The house on Dole Avenue has been razed, and the grassy lot remains empty. While there were talks of a memorial park being built on the property, Haleblain told Patch during an April 2023 interview that he does not think that will happen.

"I think in fairness to the neighbors, personally, I don't think it would be appropriate to put a memorial park there," he said. "You've got to think about the neighbors and potential traffic in this neighborhood."

• AJ Freund Died Three Days Before He Was Reported Missing: Report
• Parents Charged With First-Degree Murder In Death Of 5-Year-Old Andrew 'AJ' Freund

Crystal Lake Mourns AJ's Death

In the week's following AJ's death, the 5-year-old boy was mourned by those close to him, as well as by many more strangers.

His public visitation on May 3, 2019, drew thousands to Davenport Funeral Home, 419 E. Terra Cotta Ave. in Crystal Lake. A line of mourners waited their turn outside to pay their respects. Inside the funeral home, floral arrangements were sent from families throughout the country.

The Chicago Cubs even sent a large arrangement for AJ. Balloons, Paw Patrol figurines and an oversized stuffed bear were on display throughout Davenport Funeral Home.

Comfort dogs were on hand, and an honor guard stood next to AJ's small wooden casket.

"Based on the names entered in the guest book for AJ on Friday, we estimated close to 5,000 people (came to AJ's visitation)," Jennifer Valentine of Davenport Funeral Home told Patch in the days following the visitation. "In such a heartbreaking situation, it was heartwarming to see the outpour of support from the community and neighboring communities."

• Thousands Say Goodbye to AJ at Public Visitation

Around Crystal Lake that day, signs of the impact AJ's death had on the community could be found everywhere. Blue ribbons hung on trees in AJ's memory — and could be spotted around Crystal Lake and McHenry County months later — and everywhere you went, you heard people discussing the situation as many tried to make sense of it.

AJ's death had an emotional toll on residents near and far. Those closest to the case, including officers with the Crystal Lake Police Department, were also impacted.

In the year after AJ's death, Crystal Lake Police Chief James Black recalled how tough the days were after Freund initially called to report AJ missing.

"Almost all of us have children, so any reported incident where a child is a victim is certainly emotional even for police officers," he said. Initially, police were working off three possible scenarios — a death, an abduction or a missing child — and had to use different approaches in their search efforts while also coordinating with each other and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, whose agents were called in to help.

"While the investigation itself lasted about six days, everyone worked long days with little to no sleep," Black recalled Tuesday. "All of the investigators and agents working this case were determined to find out what happened to AJ."

Black led daily morning briefings with his staff, as well as coordinating briefings several times per day with investigators and FBI agents.

"Managing my staff in an incident like this is just business; they are trained investigators, and they are good at what they do," he told Patch Tuesday. "What is chaotic is just managing all of the resources during an event like this."

The news of AJ's death "took an emotional toll on everyone in some form or another," Black said in April 202. And investigators, working around the clock and away from their own families, were among those hit hardest.

"Even though we are police officers, we have feelings," Black said, reiterating that many within the Crystal Lake Police Department also have children. "As police officers, we expect that adult humans are going to do bad things to one another. It’s hard to understand why a parent or parents would kill their 5-year-old innocent child, though. I think that is something that will be carved in our minds forever."