Amanda Lewis was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her daughter Adrianna, with the girl’s brother AJ Hutto providing the key testimony that helped to convict her
Heartbreaking moment little boy, 7, cries as he reveals his mum murdered his sister
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In a heartbreaking trial that shook the nation, seven-year-old AJ Hutto took to the witness stand, leading to his mother Amanda Lewis’s life imprisonment for the murder of his younger sister. Overcome with tears, Hutto recounted how he saw his mother drown his sibling in their pool.
Hutto provided key evidence during the intense Florida court proceedings in February 2008, ultimately reinforcing his mother’s conviction for the first-degree murder of seven-year-old Adrianna. Hutto had never publicized the traumatic event until recently.
Now 24 years old, AJ has broken his silence about the murder and the subsequent trial in an exclusive interview with MailOnline, insisting on anonymity for his protection. He reaffirmed what he witnessed as a child, dismissing suggestions from his mother’s supporters that the prosecution manipulated him. “I don’t believe I was, what they’ve called, coached or anything like that. I just told them exactly what I saw word for word,” Hutto said.
The quiet town of Esto in Florida became the backdrop for the devastating episode on August 8, 2007. Although Adrianna died in a shallow pool, Amanda claimed her daughter accidentally drowned after slipping while trying to clean insects from the pool’s surface.
After returning from a night shift to her kids requesting pool time, Lewish initially denied them as she described to ABC News but was soon alerted by Hutto to Adrianna’s presence in the water. In retrospect, Amanda recounted: “When I got to the pool.. she was face down… she was very purple, very blue.”
While authorities initially deemed the death accidental, Hutto’s subsequent testimony of his mother’s actions—claiming she “dunked” his sister. Hutto recounted the harrowing events from his childhood: “She done some stuff that she ain’t suppose so my mama got mad, so she throwed her in the pool.”
His testimony played a pivotal role in the trial, and after his mother was convicted, Hutto was adopted by a new family and given a new identity.
“It was heartbreaking. You know, she’s my mother. But there was also some relief that what we were going through at the time was finally coming to an end,” Hutto shared.
He also disclosed that he has remained estranged from his biological mother, explaining: “It’s court appointed that we cannot see each other, and I’ve wanted to keep it that way, just so nothing’s getting brought back up… all the feelings and emotions and the traumas getting brought back into light.”
Despite her conviction, Amanda has continued to assert her innocence. Even after several unsuccessful appeals, the mother has reportedly engaged a new legal team to represent her in a potential new appeal.