Amanda Lewis was convicted in February 2008 of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the death of her daughter, Adrianna Elaine Hutto. The little girl had been found unresponsive in the backyard pool at the family home and was later pronounced dead at Bay Medical Hospital.
Initially believed to be a tragic accident, the case took a shocking turn when Lewis’ son, AJ Hutto, came forward with what he said really happened.
In a recorded police interview, AJ said he saw his sister get “dunked” into the pool by their mother after she misbehaved.
Despite being just seven years old, AJ testified in court, struggling through tears as he recounted what he said he witnessed. Seventeen years later, AJ would reflect on that moment, saying he simply told the court what he saw “word for word.”
In court, AJ was asked if his sister was really dead. When he hesitated, the lawyer pressed him to answer “yes or no.” He was also asked how she died. He responded, “momma killed his sister,” and submitted a drawing that showed stick figures by a pool, with one figure forcing another’s head underwater.
“That’s my mama,” he said. “Killing my sister.”
As the verdict was read out, Lewis appeared tense, watching the judge as he asked the jury foreperson for their decision. When she was found “guilty as charged” on both counts, her head dropped. She began breathing heavily, then broke into tears. Several people behind her in the gallery were also seen crying.
Lewis was sentenced to life in prison, plus 30 years for the child abuse charge, according to the Daily Record.
Even years after her conviction, Lewis has continued to claim she’s innocent. Speaking in the 2016 series Killer Women, she said she wanted to prove “what he [AJ] said I didn’t do.
Lewis told The Independent: “I love him no matter what, I will always love him. He is in no way blame him for what happened.”
AJ, now 24 and living under a different name, recently told the Daily Mail that he was never pressured or influenced. “I just told them exactly what I saw word for word,” he said.
“It was heartbreaking. You know, she’s my mother,” he added. “But there was also some relief that what we were going through at the time was finally coming to an end.”
He also opened up about the years before his mother’s arrest, describing his childhood as “just darkness, trauma. A lot of abuse. Physically abused, both Adrianna and I were hit.”
Talking about life with his adoptive family, AJ said, “The difference between the two families was night and day.”
