Found Deceased IL - Andrew Freund, 5, Crystal Lake, 17 April 2019 *Arrests* - #2

[Simply Southern]

That officer must be suffering terribly today. He tried so hard to protect the children.

Yea, you know LE, the CPS workers, and the Judge are grieving over this. They will never forgive themselves, even though they did all they LEGALLY could. These folks have families, kids, they care, they grieve like we do.

My BF, had a case where the Judge could not sign off on a protective order of a 5 day old with bruises in the ER. She begged him. No proof! The child was microwaved by the mom 3 days later, Mothers Days.
She resigned, the Judge retired, and EMTs were severely traumatized. The EMTs said they would never get over seeing the body. The grandparents sued the state got a big fat check, settled out of court. Mother went to a mental health facility, no jail time.

I pray for this child and think of her every Mothers Day.

 

[swanniee11]

Here’s a link to police reports. LE was very concerned about the children and the condition of the home!

Police Calls to Andrew “AJ” Freund home

Dear Lord. One of them says her medication/phone are missing. That made me think that maybe they need to look into who is prescribing and what medications she was receiving with their drug issues. IMO

 

[Henry2326]

Aggravated battery is considered "great bodily harm" so a serious injury, but there are a lot of different versions you can charge under. Here they charged under perm disability (meaning caused harm to create/reasonably expect perm disability, i.e. head trauma) and great bodily harm, which really if you can prove the first, you can prove the second. And the domestic is easily added, because it's aggravated battery to a family member.

Thank you All! So they basically best him to to death?

 

[Simply Southern]

It’s all about $$$$

Yes, but in our county, the US of A, we guarantee the right to a fair trial and will pay for your attorney.

 

[spammie]

And then you get a parent like Chris Watts who always was a good father, beautiful home, beautiful wife and daughters whom many considered a super dad until he had an affair for 5 wks while wife and girls left to visit family out of state who wasn’t on drugs ate healthy choked and smothered his wife and two little girls to death with his own bare hands buries the wife in shallow grave and crammed the little girls in openings of crude oils tanks where he was employed. Yep happens in all walks of life.

That's a fact

 

[Henry2326]

Yea, you know LE, the CPS workers, and the Judge are grieving over this. They will never forgive themselves, even though they did all they LEGALLY could. These folks have families, kids, they care, they grieve like we do.

My BF, had a case where the Judge could not sign off on a protective order of a 5 day old with bruises in the ER. She begged him. No proof! The child was microwaved by the mom 3 days later, Mothers Days.
She resigned, the Judge retired, and EMTs were severely traumatized. The EMTs said they would never get over seeing the body. The grandparents sued the state got a big fat check, settled out of court. Mother went to a mental health facility, no jail time.

I pray for this child and think of her every Mothers Day.

That is a horrible story...sometimes we don't recognize evil until we stare It in the eye....

 

[spammie]

Yea, you know LE, the CPS workers, and the Judge are grieving over this. They will never forgive themselves, even though they did all they LEGALLY could. These folks have families, kids, they care, they grieve like we do.

My BF, had a case where the Judge could not sign off on a protective order of a 5 day old with bruises in the ER. She begged him. No proof! The child was microwaved by the mom 3 days later, Mothers Days.
She resigned, the Judge retired, and EMTs were severely traumatized. The EMTs said they would never get over seeing the body. The grandparents sued the state got a big fat check, settled out of court. Mother went to a mental health facility, no jail time.

I pray for this child and think of her every Mothers Day.

OMG! I have been regularly pray for first responders, Leo's etc that their hearts be guarded and protected.

 

[Henry2326]

Styf: Breaking our hearts, breaking our trust
By JON STYF
5:20 pm
Wednesday was a day we won't soon forget in Crystal Lake. A day our hearts were broken. A day we feared was coming.

Over the past week, as we learned more and more about the situation at the home in the zero to 100 block of Dole Avenue, we certainly expected the worst. For years, the conditions have been poor. For years, the children have not been properly cared for.
<modsnipped to comply with copyright rule>

Let's make AJ Freund's death mean something.

Styf: Breaking our hearts, breaking our trust | Northwest Herald

 

[piranha345]

Thank you All! So they basically best him to to death?

Very possible, but hard to tell without more info. IL also has an agg batt for strangulation so you’d expect to see that if that occurred but that can also be found at autopsy, so like I said before more and other charges could be added.

 

[BlinkOfAnI]

YES!! YES!!! We need more boots on the ground in all communities!!! We need to lobby for stricter laws!!!
I can't remember in the last 10 years when one single child protect law was passed in my state. BUT, we recently made it a criminal offense to abuse your animal. Just saying....

Agree! Not to mention the need for good foster parents. Taking a child out of the home is just one of the steps in the process to the rest of their lives. Their aren't enough good homes for children to go to. It's heartbreaking.

 

[Plo_Koon]

Yes, but in our county, the US of A, we guarantee the right to a fair trial and will pay for your attorney.

Will pay for your overworked and overloaded with cases public defender that more than likely can't dedicate 1/5 of the time that an actual paid attorney would.

 

[Tippy Lynn]

I started a timeline - it’s not complete, but here’s what I have so far.

Timeline
Missing Since - Apr 17, 2019
Missing From - Crystal Lake, IL
DOB - Oct 14, 2013
Age Now - 5
Sex - Male
Race - White
Hair Color - Blonde
Eye Color - Brown
Height - 3'5"
Weight - 65 lbs

2013-2018

• Crystal Lake police said officers have been called to the home 17 times since the child was born five years ago. The Crystal Lake Police Department released reports detailing what they call "unacceptable" living conditions along with alleged drug abuse and concerns the Department of Children and Family Services had for the children's welfare. DCFS last had contact with the family in December of last year.

2013

• JC involved in a legal dispute with her mother, involving JC’s eldest son. JC’s mother filed an order of protection petition accusing JC and AF of forcing JC’s eldest son to live in “constant fear, hunger and filth,” as well as denying him medical care, food, clean clothing and a healthy living environment.

October 2013

• DCFS investigated an allegation of neglect by the mother and found there was credible evidence to substantiate the allegation. AJ was born with opiates in his body.

November 2013

• DCFS took AJ into protective custody. He was placed in a foster home.

June 2015

• AJ was returned home from foster care.

April 2016

• DCFS closed AJ’s Protective Custody Case

March 2018

• DCFS investigated allegations of neglect by JC and AF, but concluded they were unfounded. The mother agreed to re-enter treatment.

December 18, 2018 - Tuesday

• DCFS investigated another allegation of abuse and neglect by JC. AJ was temporarily removed by police, but he was returned to the home after the allegations were ruled unfounded. There was no evidence to support allegations of deplorable conditions in the home, and bruising on AJ was attributed to the dog.

December 19, 2018 - Wednesday

• Woodstock police arrested DN, after he allegedly kicked and hit two nurses and a security guard at Northwestern Medical Hospital. DN 36 yr old, is also reported to have lived at the home some time within the past year.

April 17, 2019 - Wednesday

• Last seen in bed at 9:30 pm

April 18, 2019 - Thursday

• AF went to doctor appointment and returned home @ 8:30am
• AJ reported missing by 911 call made by AF
• JC’s attorney said JC had been questioned by police on Thursday.
• JC was arrested at the LCPD on an arrest warrant for failure to appear on driving with a suspended DL. JC was released after paying the required $300 bond.

April 19, 2019 - Friday

• Late Friday afternoon, a team of police in about seven vehicles pulled up to the house and went inside with a search warrant.
• Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said it has had contact with the family of the boy, AJ since he was born in 2013 with opiates in his system. DCFS continued having contact off and on until late 2018.
• A younger son was placed into DCFS custody.
• Police said, “In reviewing all investigative information thus far, there is no indication that would lead police to believe that an abduction had taken place.” They also said: “Information obtained currently has police focusing on the residence.”
• Canine teams that were used during the investigation “only picked up AJ’s scent within the residence indicating that Andrew had not walked away on foot,”

April 23, 2019 - Tuesday

• JC - Court 8:30am driving with a suspended DL
• Shelter Hearing for AJ’s younger brother

April 24, 2019 - Wednesday

• Overnight police and FBI interviewed both JC and AF after information was obtained through a forensic analysis of cell phone data. Once presented with the information, the parents provided information about the location of the boy's body.
• AJ’s body was found 7 miles from home - buried in shallow grave and wrapped in plastic.
• Police were seen removing items from boy's home in Crystal Lake, including a small mattress, shovel caked with dirt, plastic storage totes and bags.
• Family dog “Lucy” was removed from home by Animal Control.
• JC - Charged
  • 5 counts of first degree murder
  • 4 counts aggravated battery
  • 2 counts of aggravated domestic battery
  • 1 count of failure to report a missing or child death
• AF Sr. - Charged
  • 5 counts of first degree murder
  • 2 counts aggravated battery
  • 1 counts of aggravated domestic battery
  • 2 counts of concealment of homicidal death
  • 1 count of failure to report a missing or child death

McHenry Co Sheriff Dept inmate search
McHenry County Sheriff

 

[cvaldez1975]

An addict only wants to maintain and NOT go into withdrawl. It's not a matter of enjoying a high, it's a matter of surviving the withdrawl. It's a massive physical dependence. It is truly a horrible horrible illness. So yes, her only real interest would be in using to keep the withdrawl away. And once in that state, she might have been more cooperative as she realized she could maybe protect herself and her addiction by co-operating against the child's father.

He doesn't look nearly as debilitated as she does, IMHO. His demeanor seems more sober and put together. Yet, wasn't he also living in that filthy, neglected hovel?

Is he an addict, too? I'm not quite getting the same vibe from him.

i feel like he got with the young stuff and drug down.

 

[BlinkOfAnI]

Interesting that the mother has 2 more counts of aggravated battery and 1 more count of aggravated domestic battery than the father.

"Freund Sr. was charged with five counts of murder, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated domestic battery, two counts of concealing a homicide, and one count of failure to report a missing child or child death."

"Cunningham was charged with five counts of murder, four counts of aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated domestic battery, and one count of failure to report a missing child or child death."

A.J. Freund’s Parents Charged With Murder; Missing Crystal Lake Boy’s Body Found Buried In Shallow Grave Near Woodstock

 

[Stunned]

YES

They go through withdrawals at birth, so I guessed they would in Utero also. Poor baby.

 

[Stunned]

I wonder how long you have before they can’t get a toxicology report from the body? Maybe they waited till toxicology tests would be impossible on AJ. And then called.

 

[Henry2326]

Interesting that the mother has 2 more counts of aggravated battery and 1 more count of aggravated domestic battery than the father.

"Freund Sr. was charged with five counts of murder, two counts of aggravated battery, one count of aggravated domestic battery, two counts of concealing a homicide, and one count of failure to report a missing child or child death."

"Cunningham was charged with five counts of murder, four counts of aggravated battery, two counts of aggravated domestic battery, and one count of failure to report a missing child or child death."

A.J. Freund’s Parents Charged With Murder; Missing Crystal Lake Boy’s Body Found Buried In Shallow Grave Near Woodstock

Wondering how far they will have to go to find a non-biased jury.....

 

[AzPistonsGirl]

Not to mention the need for good foster parents. Taking a child out of the home is just one of the steps in the process to the rest of their lives. Their aren't enough good homes for children to go to. It's heartbreaking.

Sing it, sister - this times a zillion.

 

[mickey2942]

My issue with DCFS, is that we have seen over and over again children who were "in" the system. The kids were placed and living in high risk homes, with numerous reports of abuse or neglect or signs, such as "homeschooling", and it seems like nothing happens until the children are dead or suffered years of abuse.

1. Nubia Barahona, adoptive parents still in jail, no court date yet. Florida.
2. "Little Princess" in California, found dead, after being in custody of her Mother who had been in prison for child abuse.

We could go on and on...

And what really bothers me, I understand stand that people are entitled to a defense, but what about these folks telling the truth? They killed their little boy. What are the ethics of a defense attorney who tells a client, "Don't say anything, don't cooperate". Really? It is wrong. Criminals have all of these "rights". What rights did little A.J. have?

 

[BlinkOfAnI]

I wonder how long you have before they can’t get a toxicology report from the body? Maybe they waited till toxicology tests would be impossible on AJ. And then called.

They can also use hair.