A man has spoken publicly for the first time in nearly two decades, breaking his silence about the testimony he gave as a child that helped convict his biological mother of murder.
AJ Hutto was just seven years old when he took the witness stand in a Florida courtroom in 2008. At the time, he gave a chilling account of how his mother, Amanda Lewis, drowned his sister, seven-year-old Adrianna, in their backyard pool.
Now 24, AJ – whose real name has been changed for privacy – has reaffirmed his story in an interview with The Daily Mail, saying,
“One hundred percent guilty. I stand by every word I said.”
During the trial, a simple but haunting drawing by AJ became key evidence. The sketch showed three stick figures near a pool and was labeled with the words, “She did” and “To Bad,” which AJ explained meant “she died” and “it was scary.” He also told the jury,
“She was putting her hand over her face,”
referring to the moment he claimed he saw his mother hold Adrianna’s head underwater.
Despite his young age, the judge ruled him a competent witness. While some questioned whether AJ had been influenced by investigators, he remains clear:
“I don’t believe I was coached or anything like that. I just told them exactly what I saw, word for word.”
Amanda Lewis was convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. She received a life sentence without parole, plus an additional 30 years. She has always claimed that Adrianna’s death was accidental — that the child simply fell into the pool. Initially, authorities considered it a possible accident, but AJ’s account and the autopsy findings shifted their view.
The medical examiner found bruising on Adrianna’s face consistent with a handprint. In a police interview at the time, AJ stated,
“Mama dunked my sister,”
claiming she was angry because Adrianna had sprayed glass cleaner around the house.
Investigators also noted the poor condition of the home, describing a lack of toys and basic resources for the children.
Following the trial, AJ was adopted and began a new life. Today, he’s a firefighter, married, and has no relationship with Amanda Lewis. He doesn’t refer to her as his mother and describes his early years with her as traumatic.
“My childhood with Amanda was… just darkness. Trauma. A lot of abuse,”
he said.
“Both Adrianna and I were physically abused. Sometimes it came out of nowhere – we’d be completely blindsided.”
He says the difference between that life and his adoptive home was like “night and day.”
Meanwhile, Amanda Lewis continues to fight for her release from Homestead Correctional Institution for Women in South Florida. She recently hired a new attorney and is attempting to reopen her case. Reports state she passed a polygraph test and had previously rejected a plea deal that would have downgraded the charge to manslaughter in exchange for a 10-year sentence.
Still, AJ has no doubts about what he witnessed.
“I know what I saw. I lived it.”
