A woman convicted of murdering her seven-year-old daughter could be released, 17 years after a case built largely on testimony from her young son. AJ Hutto has now spoken out about the experience of testifying against his own mother.
The case
Amanda Lewis was found guilty in 2008 of murdering her daughter Adrianna, seven, in the family's above-ground pool at their home in Esto, Florida. The prosecution's case centred on testimony from AJ, then also seven years old, who told the court he witnessed his mother deliberately holding Adrianna underwater. He presented a drawing to the court identifying a stick figure as his mother, and described watching from a nearby tree as she held his sister's face under the water. Lewis was convicted of first-degree murder and child abuse and sentenced to life without parole, plus an additional 30 years.
The case reopens
The case has since been reopened, with a judge assigned to consider a motion for post-conviction relief based on alleged rights violations. Lewis has maintained her innocence throughout, claiming Adrianna drowned accidentally after slipping while trying to remove insects from the pool. She's also claimed AJ was coerced into giving false testimony, saying in a past interview that she doesn't blame him for what happened and continues to love him.
What AJ has said
AJ has consistently stood by his original testimony, saying in a recent interview that he doesn't believe he was coached and simply described exactly what he saw. He described the experience of testifying against his mother as heartbreaking, given their relationship, but said there was also a sense of relief that the situation was finally coming to a resolution at the time.
Now 24, AJ has chosen not to reconnect with his mother, a decision reinforced by a court order preventing contact between them. He said he's wanted to maintain that distance to avoid revisiting the trauma associated with the case.
