Nearly two decades after testifying as a child against his biological mother, AJ Hutto has broken his silence. At just 7 years old, AJ told a Florida court in 2008 that he saw his mother, Amanda Lewis, drown his sister Adrianna in their backyard pool.
Now 24, AJ has spoken publicly for the first time since the trial, telling The Daily Mail: “One hundred percent guilty. I stand by every word I said.” His testimony and a drawing he presented were key evidence in the case. The drawing showed figures by the pool with the words “She did” and “To Bad,” which AJ explained meant “she died” and “it was scary.”
Despite being so young, AJ was ruled a competent witness. He described how his mother held Adrianna underwater, and told police she had “dunked” his sister after getting angry.
Amanda Lewis was convicted of first-degree murder and child abuse, receiving life without parole plus 30 years. She has always claimed Adrianna’s death was an accident, but AJ insists his account was truthful and not coached. Autopsy findings supported AJ’s story, revealing bruising consistent with a handprint.
Following the trial, AJ was adopted and is now a firefighter, married, and has had no contact with Lewis. “My childhood with Amanda was just darkness… a lot of abuse,” he said.
Meanwhile, Lewis continues to fight her conviction, recently hiring a new attorney and reportedly passing a polygraph test.