“Secrets of a Tragic Past: Boy Who Witnessed His Sister’s Drowning Reveals Shocking Truth 17 Years Later”

Introduction:

Have you ever wondered how childhood innocence can coalesce with harrowing truths in the courtroom? It’s a heart-wrenching paradox that engages your mind and emotions, especially when the storyteller is just a child. After 17 long years, AJ Hutto, the brave boy who testified against his mother in a shocking murder case, has finally found his voice. Once a mere seven-year-old witness to an unimaginable tragedy, AJ recounted the dark event that unfolded in his family pool, transforming what was considered an accidental drowning into a chilling narrative of abuse and loss. This compelling story unravels not just a brutal crime, but also the resilience of a young boy who faced the unimaginable—his mother’s betrayal. As we dive into this saga of justice and grief, one cannot help but ask: What shadows linger behind the scenes of a childhood marred by trauma? LEARN MORE.

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.

The boy who told the court that his mum drowned his half sister has broken his silence after 17 years.

Seven-year-old AJ Hutto took to the stand in February 2008 when his mother Amanda Lewis stood trial for first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.

On 8 August 2007, her seven-year-old daughter, Adrianna Elaine Hutto, was found unresponsive in her family’s pool in Esto, Florida.

Lewis called emergency services and reported that her little girl had been discovered not breathing. Adrianna was pronounced dead an hour after she was transported to Bay Medical Hospital.

The whole incident was deemed an accidental drowning, until AJ revealed in a videotaped interview with police what he saw.

AJ said he witnessed his mum ‘dunk’ Adrianna in the pool as punishment for misbehaving.

Adrianna Elaine Hutto was found responsive in the family’s pool (ITV)

“Mama dunked my sister. She done some stuff that she ain’t suppose so my mama got mad, so she throwed her in the pool,” he said.

When the case went to court, the prosecutor asked him to detail why he’d drawn a picture of stick figures around the pool.

“That’s my mama,” he said. “Killing my sister.”

The boy said Lewis was ‘putting her hand over her face’.

In 2008, Lewis was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in jail, with an extra 30 years for child abuse, The Daily Record reports.

Lewis has always maintained her innocence, appearing in Piers Morgan’s ITV series, Killer Women, in 2016 to ‘prove that I’m innocent. Proving what he said I didn’t do’.

She said she ‘couldn’t believe they were doing this’ when her son testified against her, adding (via The Independent): “I love him no matter what, I will always love him. He is in no way blame him for what happened.”

Looking back on the court proceedings, however, AJ told the Daily Mail: “I don’t believe I was, what they’ve called, coached or anything like that.

Amanda E. Lewis received life in jail (Handout)

“I just told them exactly what I saw word for word.”

At first, AJ said he didn’t notice his mum in court after being separated from her for a number of months.

“It was heartbreaking. You know, she’s my mother,” he added. “But there was also some relief that what we were going through at the time was finally coming to an end.

“It’s court appointed that we cannot see each other, and I’ve wanted to keep it that way, just so nothing’s getting brought back up.

“All the feelings and emotions and the traumas getting brought back into light.”

AJ Hutto’s testimony in the case against Amanda E. Lewis proved to be a turning point (ITV)

The now 24-year-old said his adoptive family was a much ‘happier household’, and it was ‘almost a 360 difference’.

“Just darkness, trauma. A lot of abuse. Physically abused, both Adrianna and I were hit,” AJ continued.

“The difference between the two families was night and day.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had to talk about it, so I kind of remember some things about my previous life.

“And for the most part, I remember the abuse. Sometimes we wouldn’t even see it coming. It was literally sometimes we were blindsided.”

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.