A man whose testimony helped send his mother to prison for life over the death of his sister has spoken publicly for the first time in 18 years, but only on one condition.

AJ Hutto was just seven years old when he took the stand in a Florida courtroom and told jurors he had witnessed his mother, Amanda Lewis, drown his sister Adrianna in the family's swimming pool. His emotional testimony became a key part of the prosecution's case and contributed to Lewis being convicted of first-degree murder in 2008.

Last year, AJ - then at the age of 24 - broke his silence about the case that shocked America.

AJ Hutto testifying in court. Credit: ITV

He stood by the testimony he gave as a child

Adrianna Hutto died on August 8, 2007, in a four-foot-deep pool at the family's home in Esto, Florida. Amanda Lewis maintained that her daughter's death was a tragic accident, claiming Adrianna slipped into the water while cleaning bugs from the pool.

According to Lewis, she had returned home from a night shift to find her children asking to use the pool. She said she refused, but the children went outside anyway before AJ ran inside and told her his sister was in the water.

In 2010, Lewis recalled the moment she found her daughter, saying: "When I got to the pool.. she was face down… she was very purple, very blue."

Investigators initially treated Adrianna's death as an accidental drowning. However, the case took a dramatic turn when AJ told authorities that his mother had intentionally put his sister in the pool.

AJ said: "She done some stuff that she ain't suppose so my mama got mad, so she throwed her in the pool."

Eighteen years later, AJ told MailOnline he remains certain about what he witnessed and rejected suggestions that he had been influenced by investigators or prosecutors.

He said: "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."

Adrianna Elaine Hutto. Credit: Florida Department of Corrections

The trial changed his life forever

AJ's testimony was delivered six months after his sister's death. Footage from the trial showed the young boy becoming emotional as he recounted events from that day.

Despite helping secure his mother's conviction, AJ admitted appearing in court was an incredibly difficult experience.

Recalling the moment he saw Lewis in the courtroom, he said: "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."

Lewis was ultimately sentenced to life in prison without parole for Adrianna's murder. Following the trial, AJ was adopted and given a new identity.

Amanda Lewis was found guilty of murdering her daughter Adrianna Hutto. Credit: Florida Department of Corrections

Why he wanted his identity protected

Although AJ has now chosen to speak publicly about the case, he did so under the condition that his new identity remained private.

He also revealed that he has had no contact with his birth mother since the conviction and intends to keep it that way.

AJ said: "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.

Lewis has continued to maintain her innocence and has challenged her conviction through multiple appeals. According to reports, she has recently hired a new legal team as she pursues another potential appeal.

For AJ, however, the events that unfolded when he was seven remain clear, and he says the testimony he gave in court all those years ago was simply his account of what he saw happen to his sister.

Featured image credit: ITV

A boy who gave evidence against his mother when he was just seven years old has shared a chilling admission 17 years later.

At just seven years old, AJ Hutto took the witness stand and delivered testimony that would help convict his mother, Amanda Lewis, of the murder of his younger sister.

Now 24, AJ is speaking publicly for the first time since the 2008 trial, standing by the words that helped send his mother to prison for life.

The tragic events unfolded on August 8, 2007, in the rural town of Esto, Florida, near the Alabama border.

That day, AJ’s seven-year-old sister, Adrianna, died in the family's backyard pool. Amanda Lewis, who had just returned home from working a night shift, claimed Adrianna had slipped into the water while trying to clean bugs from the surface. She told authorities that she found her daughter face-down and unresponsive, per Court TV.

Initially, investigators treated Adrianna’s death as a tragic accident. But the case took a dramatic turn when AJ, then only seven, told investigators that he had seen his mother deliberately push Adrianna into the water and hold her under.

In a video-recorded statement, AJ said: “She done some stuff that she ain't supposed to, so my mama got mad, so she throwed her in the pool.” His testimony became the cornerstone of the prosecution’s case.

Dressed in a collared shirt and vest, AJ gave his emotional testimony in court in February 2008, ABC News reported.

It proved decisive, Amanda Lewis was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse and sentenced to life in prison. Following the trial, AJ was adopted by another family and given a new name and identity for protection.

Now, 17 years later, AJ has opened up to MailOnline, under the condition that his current identity remain confidential. He reaffirmed his original testimony and rejected claims that he had been manipulated or coerced by prosecutors.

“I don't believe I was, what they've called, coached or anything like that,” AJ said. “I just told them exactly what I saw, word for word.”

He recalled the emotional weight of testifying at such a young age, saying he didn’t recognize his mother when he entered the courtroom. “It was heartbreaking,” he said. “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.”

AJ also revealed he has had no contact with Amanda since her conviction. “It’s court-appointed that we cannot see each other,” he explained, “and I've wanted to keep it that way, just so nothing’s getting brought back up… all the feelings, emotions, and traumas coming back into light.”

Amanda Lewis has continued to maintain her innocence over the years. Despite several failed appeals, she has reportedly retained a new legal team in hopes of filing a fresh challenge to her conviction, The Mirror details.

For AJ, the tragedy forever changed the course of his life, but he remains firm in his belief that he told the truth all those years ago.

Featured image credit: SimpleImages / Getty Images.

A boy who testified to a court that his mother had drowned his sister when he was seven has spoken out 17 years later.

In 2008, seven-year-old AJ Hutto took the stand in a Florida courtroom and told a jury that he saw his mother, Amanda Lewis, drown his half-sister Adrianna Elaine Hutto as punishment for misbehaving.

Now 24 years old, AJ is finally speaking out about the traumatic experience and what life has been like since.

The horrifying case unfolded in Esto, Florida, on August 8, 2007. Lewis called 911 after finding her daughter unresponsive in their family’s backyard pool.

Adrianna, also seven, was rushed to Bay Medical Hospital but was tragically pronounced dead an hour later.

Initially ruled an accidental drowning, everything changed when AJ sat down for a videotaped police interview and revealed what he saw.

“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,” AJ said.

The child’s testimony stunned investigators.

When asked in court why he had drawn stick figures around the pool, AJ told the prosecutor: “That's my mama. Killing my sister.”

He said his mother was “putting her hand over her face.”

Despite Amanda Lewis maintaining her innocence, AJ’s powerful testimony helped secure a conviction. In 2008, she was sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder, plus an additional 30 years for aggravated child abuse, according to The Daily Record.

In a 2016 interview with Piers Morgan for his Killer Women series on ITV, Lewis insisted she was wrongly convicted.

“Proving that I’m innocent. Proving what he said I didn’t do,” she said.

She also spoke about her son’s testimony, telling The Independent: “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.”

But AJ stands by what he told the court all those years ago. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “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.”

Reflecting on the moment he saw his mother in court, AJ admitted it was painful - but also brought closure.

“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 revealed why he’s chosen not to reconnect with Lewis: “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 24, AJ says life with his adoptive family has been a dramatic change - for the better.

“A much happier household,” he said. “Almost a 360 difference.”

He opened up about the abuse he and Adrianna endured growing up: “Just darkness, trauma. A lot of abuse. Physically abused, both Adrianna and I were hit.”

He continued: “The difference between the two families was night and day. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to talk about it, so I kind of remember some things about my previous life.

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

Featured image credit: ITV

The case of Amanda Lewis - a Florida mother sentenced to life in prison for the murder of her daughter - has resurfaced after her son, who was the key witness in her 2008 trial, spoke publicly for the first time in nearly two decades.

AJ Hutto, now 24, has shared his thoughts about testifying against his mother when he was just seven years old, telling the Daily Mail he stands by everything he said in court.

"I just told them exactly what I saw word for word. It was heartbreaking. You know, she's my mother," AJ recalled. "But there was also some relief that what we were going through at the time was finally coming to an end."

What happened to Adrianna Hutto?

The tragic events unfolded on August 8, 2007, in the small rural town of Esto, Florida, just near the Alabama state line. That day, seven-year-old Adrianna Elaine Hutto was found unresponsive in the family's backyard pool, per CourtTV.

Amanda Lewis, who had reportedly just returned home after a night shift, told authorities that Adrianna had accidentally fallen into the water while trying to clean bugs from the pool’s surface.

At first, her explanation was accepted, and investigators treated the incident as a tragic accident.

But the case took a shocking turn when her son AJ came forward with a very different version of events.

“She throwed her in the pool”

In a video-recorded interview, AJ told investigators: “She done some stuff that she ain't supposed to, so my mama got mad, so she throwed her in the pool.”

His chilling account suggested that his mother, angry over Adrianna’s behavior, had intentionally drowned her. AJ even submitted drawings to the court showing what he said he had witnessed—his mother holding his sister underwater as punishment.

At trial in February 2008, AJ, then just seven, wore a collared shirt and vest as he took the stand. His testimony became the cornerstone of the prosecution’s case.

Amanda Lewis found guilty despite her denials

After four days of testimony, the jury convicted Amanda Lewis of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

In a 2016 prison interview with Piers Morgan on Killer Women, Lewis continued to deny responsibility for her daughter’s death and shared her version of what happened.

"We had went outside. The kids were playing. [I] had to step back inside. Somewhere along the point she had pulled the wagon by the pool. Somewhere along the line she fell in," she said.

"Adrianna was playing in the pool. I looked out the back door and that's when I can barely see her floating in the pool."

Despite the differences in their stories, Lewis made it clear she still cared deeply for her son.

"I love him no matter what, I will always love him. He is in no way blame him for what happened."

“I don’t believe I was coached”: AJ maintains his version of events

Now an adult, AJ has reaffirmed the testimony he gave as a child, insisting he was never manipulated by prosecutors.

“I don't believe I was, what they've called, coached or anything like that,” he said. “I just told them exactly what I saw, word for word.”

AJ also reflected on the emotional difficulty of seeing his mother in court.

"It was heartbreaking. 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."

“I’ve wanted to keep it that way”: No contact since the trial

Since Amanda Lewis's conviction, AJ has had no contact with her. Adopted by another family, he now lives under a different name and identity for his own safety and peace of mind.

“It’s court-appointed that we cannot see each other,” AJ said. “And I've wanted to keep it that way, just so nothing's getting brought back up… all the feelings, emotions, and traumas coming back into light."

Featured image credit: ITV

A boy who gave evidence against his mother when he was just seven years old has shared a chilling admission 17 years later.

At just seven years old, AJ Hutto took the witness stand and delivered testimony that would help convict his mother, Amanda Lewis, of the murder of his younger sister.

Now 24, AJ is speaking publicly for the first time since the 2008 trial, standing by the words that helped send his mother to prison for life.

The tragic events unfolded on August 8, 2007, in the rural town of Esto, Florida, near the Alabama border.

That day, AJ’s seven-year-old sister, Adrianna, died in the family's backyard pool. Amanda Lewis, who had just returned home from working a night shift, claimed Adrianna had slipped into the water while trying to clean bugs from the surface.

She told authorities that she found her daughter face-down and unresponsive, per Court TV.

Initially, investigators treated Adrianna’s death as a tragic accident. But the case took a dramatic turn when AJ, then only seven, told investigators that he had seen his mother deliberately push Adrianna into the water and hold her under.

In a video-recorded statement, AJ said: “She done some stuff that she ain't supposed to, so my mama got mad, so she throwed her in the pool.” His testimony became the cornerstone of the prosecution’s case.

Dressed in a collared shirt and vest, AJ gave his emotional testimony in court in February 2008, ABC News reported.

It proved decisive, Amanda Lewis was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse and sentenced to life in prison. Following the trial, AJ was adopted by another family and given a new name and identity for protection.

Now, 17 years later, AJ has opened up to MailOnline, under the condition that his current identity remain confidential. He reaffirmed his original testimony and rejected claims that he had been manipulated or coerced by prosecutors.

“I don't believe I was, what they've called, coached or anything like that,” AJ said. “I just told them exactly what I saw, word for word.”

He recalled the emotional weight of testifying at such a young age, saying he didn’t recognize his mother when he entered the courtroom.

“It was heartbreaking,” he said. “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.”

AJ also revealed he has had no contact with Amanda since her conviction. “It’s court-appointed that we cannot see each other,” he explained, “and I've wanted to keep it that way, just so nothing’s getting brought back up… all the feelings, emotions, and traumas coming back into light.”

Amanda Lewis has continued to maintain her innocence over the years. Despite several failed appeals, she has reportedly retained a new legal team in hopes of filing a fresh challenge to her conviction, The Mirror details.

For AJ, the tragedy forever changed the course of his life, but he remains firm in his belief that he told the truth all those years ago.

Featured image credit: David Talukdar / Getty

A seven-year-old boy had to take the stand to answer heartbreaking questions after he watched his mother murder his sister.

On August 8, 2007, seven-year-old Adrianna Elaine Hutto was found unresponsive in the family’s backyard pool in rural Esto, Florida, near the Alabama border, per CourtTV.

Her mother, Amanda Lewis, told authorities she had discovered Adrianna face-down in the water after the little girl tried to clean bugs from the pool’s surface. Adrianna was rushed to a nearby hospital but tragically died an hour later.

Initially, investigators ruled Adrianna’s death as an accidental drowning. But the case took a shocking turn when her older brother, AJ Hutto, came forward with a different version of events that would change everything.

AJ, who was just seven at the time, told police in a video-recorded interview: “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.”

The statement led prosecutors to charge Amanda Lewis with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, and in February 2008, AJ took the stand to testify against his mother in court.

Wearing a collared shirt and vest, AJ struggled through emotional testimony, at one point breaking into tears while explaining to the court what he had seen.

The prosecution began by asking AJ simple questions about his age and school before moving to the heart of the matter, per Yahoo!

“I told them today, that Adrianna was dead. Is she dead?” the lawyer asked. AJ nodded but was urged to respond verbally, answering: “Yes, sir.”

The lawyer pressed on, saying: “They want to know how Adrianna died, now I wasn't there AJ was I?”

AJ responded: “No, sir,” before confirming that he was there when his sister died.

“Can you tell them how she died?” the lawyer asked.

AJ told the court that his “momma killed his sister” and even drew a stick-figure illustration showing a person pushing another’s head underwater.

“That's my mama,” he said, “killing my sister.” AJ added that his mother was “putting her hand over her face.”

The testimony proved decisive. Amanda Lewis was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, with an additional 30 years for child abuse, per the Daily Record.

Following the trial, AJ was adopted by another family and given a new name and identity for protection.

Now, at 24, AJ has spoken publicly for the first time since the trial, reaffirming that he told the truth all those years ago.

Speaking to MailOnline under the condition that his current identity remains private, AJ rejected claims that he had been manipulated by prosecutors or other adults during the investigation.

“I don't believe I was, what they've called, coached or anything like that,” he said. “I just told them exactly what I saw, word for word.”

AJ described the experience of testifying against his mother as “heartbreaking,” explaining: “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.”

While Amanda Lewis has continued to maintain her innocence, telling Piers Morgan in 2016 that she wanted to prove “what he said I didn’t do,” AJ has made it clear he stands by his testimony.

He explained that he has had no contact with his mother since her conviction, saying: “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, emotions, and traumas coming back into light.”

AJ also reflected on the abuse he and Adrianna experienced growing up, revealing, “For the most part, I remember the abuse. Sometimes we wouldn't even see it coming. It was literally sometimes we were blindsided.”

Today, AJ describes his adoptive family as a “happier” place, acknowledging that while the tragedy changed his life forever, he is certain he did the right thing by speaking up.

Featured image credit: ITV