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Attorney asks to withdraw from case of Crystal Lake mother appealing conviction in killing of 5-year-old son

An attorney has asked to withdraw from representing the Crystal Lake mother serving a 35-year prison sentence for killing her son, AJ Freund, in her post-conviction appeal. JoAnn Cunningham, 40, formerly of Crystal Lake, filed a post-conviction petition in McHenry County Circuit Court in late March 2022. Cunningham filed the petition pro se, meaning on […]

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Judge dismisses mother of AJ Freund’s post-conviction petition, says it has no merit

The Crystal Lake mother serving a 35-year prison sentence for killing her son, AJ Freund, had her post-conviction petition denied on Wednesday by a judge, who said she had no merit in her petition. JoAnn Cunningham, 39, formerly of Crystal Lake, filed a post-conviction petition in McHenry County Circuit Court in late March. Cunningham filed […]

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Mother of AJ Freund files post-conviction petition, says she had been ‘seeing demons’ at time of her son’s killing

The Crystal Lake mother serving a 35-year prison sentence for killing her son, AJ Freund, has filed a post-conviction petition, saying that she had been seeing demons and believed she and her son were possessed. JoAnn Cunningham, 39, formerly of Crystal Lake, filed a post-conviction petition in McHenry County Circuit Court earlier this week. Cunningham […]

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‘What AJ suffered was a corner of hell’: state’s attorney discusses plea deal given to father of AJ Freund

McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally said what AJ Freund suffered leading up to his murder “was a corner of hell” as he discussed the plea deal accepted by the boy’s father on Friday. Kenneally held a press conference Friday evening following the guilty plea of Andrew Freund Sr., who was sentenced to 30 years […]

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Andrew Freund Sr. expected to accept plea deal on Friday in murder of his son

Andrew Freund Sr., who was charged with killing his 5-year-old son AJ Freund, is expected to formally accept a plea deal on Friday. Freund, 60, appeared briefly Wednesday morning in a McHenry County courtroom for a trial date status hearing. Freund’s attorney, Special Public Defender Henry Sugden, told McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt that they […]