AJ Freund murder: JoAnn Cunningham challenges conviction in beating death of 5-year-old son

WOODSTOCK, In poor health. — A suburban Chicago lady who pleaded responsible in her 5-year-old son’s demise is difficult her conviction and 35-year sentence, saying she had postpartum melancholy and psychosis when she killed her son.

The video featured is from a earlier report.

JoAnn Cunningham, 39, of Crystal Lake, claimed in her petition for post-conviction reduction that she didn’t obtain sufficient counsel. She claimed to have been seeing demons and believed her son was possessed by a demon, and stated she sought an exorcism from a priest, a chaplain and AJ’s father, Andrew Freund, The Northwest Herald reported.

McHenry County Decide Robert Wilbrandt, who sentenced Cunningham, stated Friday he has 90 days to determine whether or not the post-conviction petition has advantage. If reduction is granted, it may end in Cunningham’s responsible plea and sentence being put aside and a date may very well be set for a brand new trial.

If Wilbrandt finds her claims are warranted, he then would assign Cunningham an lawyer and permit prosecutors to offer their enter, the decide stated throughout a listening to Friday.

On the time of AJ’s demise, Cunningham was pregnant and she or he gave delivery to a daughter whereas within the McHenry County Jail. That youngster and one other son, who was about two years youthful than AJ, had been positioned into foster care. Cunningham is incarcerated on the Logan Correctional Middle in Lincoln.

Andrew Freund, 63, pleaded responsible to involuntary manslaughter, aggravated battery of a kid and concealment of a homicidal demise. He was sentenced to 30 years in jail and is incarcerated on the Illinois River Correctional Middle in Canton.

Authorities have stated that on April 15, 2019, Cunningham grew to become offended along with her son when she discovered dirty underwear he tried to cover. He died after she compelled the kid to face in a chilly bathe for at the least 20 minutes, hit him within the head with the bathe head, then put him to mattress chilly, moist and bare, in keeping with authorities.

His physique was discovered wrapped in plastic and hid in a shallow grave close to the household’s residence in Crystal Lake.

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