CHICAGO _ The father of 5-year-old AJ Freund on Friday pleaded guilty to charges in connection to the Crystal Lake boy's death and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.
Andrew Freund Sr. of Crystal Lake., whose son's body was found in a shallow grave in April 2019, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery of a child, involuntary manslaughter and concealment of a homicidal death.
He was sentenced to 11 years for aggravated battery of a child, 14 years for involuntary manslaughter and five years for concealment of a homicide.
Judge Robert Wilbrandt said the charges will be served consecutively, "for the protection of the public."
As part of a plea agreement, Freund must also cooperate in an investigation into the Department of Children and Family Services. Two agency workers face charges in connection to AJ's death.
Freund must serve at least a minimum of 18 years in prison, 30 years if the sentences handed down Friday are served in full. If he is eventually released from prison, Freund would be required to spend time under supervised release and would be listed on the state's registry for violent offenders against youths.
Under the plea deal, Freund will get credit for time already served since he was taken into custody on April 26, 2019.
The 61-year-old defendant appeared in McHenry County court in an orange jail-issued jumpsuit and white face mask to protect against COVID-19. Freund declined to speak when given the opportunity during the hearing but listened as a prosecutor spent about 15 minutes recounting grueling details of the lengthy investigation into the abuse and death of his son.
AJ was reported missing in April 2019.
His body was discovered six days later in a shallow grave in a remote area seven miles from his home in Crystal Lake, a Chicago suburb.
Prosecutors said Freund and Cunningham forced AJ into a cold shower and beat him before putting him to bed naked, wet and cold the night of his April 15, 2019, death.
Days later, the parents falsely reported AJ missing.
"We have a missing child," Freund told a 911 dispatcher early April 18, 2019, speaking in a calm voice.
During the call, Freund had said he and Cunningham last saw AJ about 9 p.m. when they put him to bed in his Mario sweatshirt and sweatpants. Freund said he realized AJ was missing after he went to wake the boy in the morning.
His parents had a long history with DCFS and had temporarily lost custody of AJ after he was born with heroin in his system.
AJ's mother, JoAnn Cunningham, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of murder and was sentenced in July to a 35-year prison term.
