A.J. Hutto. Credit / YouTube
At just 7 years old, A.J. Hutto bravely testified in court that his mother, Amanda Lewis, drowned his sister, Adrianna, in their backyard pool. Seventeen years later, A.J., now 24 and a firefighter, has broken his silence, still affirming that his mother is “100% guilty.”
In 2008, A.J. described to police and the court how his mother got angry and “dunked” his sister in the pool. He supported his account with a drawing showing the incident, saying in court, “Mama… killing my sister.”
Initially, Adrianna’s death in August 2007 was considered an accident. Lewis claimed she was napping before a school shopping trip when A.J. alerted her that Adrianna was in the pool. But after A.J.’s testimony, Lewis was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole.
A.J. was later adopted and given a new identity. In a recent interview, he said he wasn’t coached and only understood the gravity of his testimony years later: “I just told them exactly what I saw.”
He recalled a childhood filled with trauma and abuse, describing Adrianna as his best friend. He has not seen his mother since the trial and wants to keep it that way: “It was heartbreaking… but also a relief. What we were going through was finally ending.”