Boy who broke down telling court his mom drowned his sister made chilling admission to cops in home footage

A man who, as a young child, told a courtroom that his mother had drowned his sister has spoken out nearly 17 years later about the case and its lasting impact.

In 2008, seven-year-old AJ Hutto testified before a jury in Florida, saying he witnessed his mother, Amanda Lewis, drown his half-sister, Adrianna Elaine Hutto, as punishment for misbehaving.

Now aged 24, AJ has reflected on the traumatic experience and how his life has changed since those events.

The chilling admission made two decades ago

The tragedy took place in Esto, Florida, on August 8, 2007. Lewis called 911 after finding her daughter unresponsive in the family’s backyard swimming pool. Adrianna, who was also seven, was taken to Bay Medical Hospital but was pronounced dead within an hour.

At first, the incident was believed to be an accidental drowning. However, the case took a dramatic turn after AJ gave a recorded interview to the police, where he described what he claimed to have witnessed.

“Mama dunked my sister. She done some stuff that she ain't suppose so my mama got mad, so she throwed her in the pool,” he said, leaving investigators stunned.

During the trial, AJ also explained a drawing he had made of the scene, telling the prosecutor: “That's my mama. Killing my sister.” He added that his mother had been “putting her hand over her face.”

Securing his mother's conviction and his life 20 years on

Although Amanda Lewis has consistently denied any wrongdoing, AJ’s testimony proved crucial. In 2008, she was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, receiving a life sentence along with an additional 30 years, according to The Daily Record.

Speaking on Piers Morgan's series Killer Women, she also addressed her son’s testimony: “I couldn’t believe they were doing this… I love him no matter what; I will always love him. He is in no way blame him for what happened.”

AJ, however, stands by what he said in court as a child. In an interview with the Daily Mail, he stated: “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.”

Recalling seeing his mother during the trial, he described the moment as both painful and relieving. “It was heartbreaking. You know, she’s my mother,” he said. “But there was also some relief that what we were going through at the time was finally coming to an end.”

He also explained why he has chosen not to reconnect with her: “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.”

Now an adult, AJ says his life with his adoptive family is completely different. “A much happier household,” he said. “Almost a 360 difference.”

He also spoke candidly about the abuse he and his sister experienced growing up: “Just darkness, trauma. A lot of abuse. Physically abused, both Adrianna and I were hit."

"And for the most part, I remember the abuse. Sometimes we wouldn’t even see it coming. It was literally sometimes we were blindsided," he added.

Featured Image. Credit: ITV