The body of 5-year-old Andrew “A.J.” Freund was discovered Wednesday morning in in a shallow grave on the morning of April 24 in Woodstock, Ill.
More details are now being reported about this chilling murder case.
Prosecutors said that prior to being beaten, AJ had been subjected to a forced cold shower for “an extended time.”
Andrew “A.J.” Freund was discovered Wednesday morning in the rural Hennen Conservation Area of Woodstock, according to Fox32.
The body was “buried in a shallow grave wrapped in plastic,” police said on a press conference.
Today, AJ’s parents Andrew Freund Sr., 60, and JoAnn Cunningham, 36, appeared in McHenry County Court.
The parents are facing multiple charges including aggravated battery and first-degree murder, according to WGN-TV.
Crystal Lake police Chief James Black investigators were led to the boys body after they interviewed his parents overnight and presented them with cellphone evidence.
JoAnn Cunningham, who is seven months pregnant, shed tears when the judge listed the charges – Freund Sr. reportedly showed no emotion in court.
Earlier this week, the police released more than 60 pages of reports written by officers who responded to various calls about the house where AJ lived with his parents, AP reported.
One of the reports described seeing the home littered with dog feces and urine. In the children’s bedroom the ”smell of feces was overwhelming.”
In another report, an officer found the house to be “cluttered, dirty, and in disrepair,” and without electrical power.
A bond of $5 million each has been set for the parents, according to the report.
