A 5-year-old boy found Wednesday in a shallow grave in Crystal Lake died from blows to his head, according to an autopsy released Thursday.
Andrew “AJ” Freund, whose parents were charged with murder on Wednesday, died from injuries to his skull and brain as a consequence of multiple blunt force trauma, according to a statement from the McHenry County coroner.
Criminal complaints filed Thursday in McHenry County Circuit Court state that on April 15, Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham forced AJ “to remain in a cold shower for an extended period of time and/or struck A.F. on or about his body, knowing such acts would cause the death of A.F.”
The complaint also states that Freund Sr. buried the boy’s body that same day.
Cunningham and Freund Sr. both appeared in court Thursday morning and were ordered held on $5 million bail each, according to court records and Crystal Lake police. They were both due back in court on April 29.
Cunningham and Freund Sr. reported their son missing on the morning of April 18, claiming they’d last seen him while putting him to bed the night before, police said.
Local law enforcement agencies and the FBI spent the next week searching the area for Andrew until Freund provided information early Wednesday that led them to the boy’s body, which was wrapped in plastic in a shallow grave in nearby Woodstock, Crystal Lake Police Chief James Black said.
Records show the family has a lengthy history with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services after AJ was born with opiates in his system in 2013, but the boy was eventually returned and allowed to remain with the family despite allegations of neglect.
The family home on Dole Avenue was in poor condition, and the family lived without power at times. Police reports document it was full of dog feces, urine and trash and had many broken or open windows, even in the winter.
THE FREUND INVESTIGATION:
• Parents get $5 million bail in AJ Freund murder case
• Parents charged with murder after Andrew ‘AJ’ Freund found dead
• State investigates handling of AJ Freund case after boy found dead
• Missing boy, 5, lived in Crystal Lake home full of dog feces, records show
• Family of missing Crystal Lake boy has lengthy history with DCFS: officials
• FBI searching for missing 5-year-old from Crystal Lake
