Found Deceased IL - Andrew Freund, 5, Crystal Lake, 17 April 2019 *Arrests* - #3

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I must have missed this as well. I thought the neighbor never reported the incident and we had no record of it and just the mother telling the neighbor he was taken to the hospital. Do we have a report that shows this burn incident?

The only info we have on the boiling water comes from the neighbor. She says JC told her that AJ pulled the water off the stove and that they’d spent the day at the hospital. We have photos that show the burns healing and the hair loss from the burns. But the neighbor did not report that incident before AJ’s death and we have no way of knowing if JC really took him to the ER.
 
No doubt - we know exactly what was going ono_O

I am guessing one of the duo had Rx for Sub, with a dealer ready to buy it the day they picked it up. Then they could use the money for heroin which would cost a few bucks per bag. Like all addicts, the more they had, the more they used. Once they used it up, poop hit the fan. If momma ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy. Moo
 
Notice Tippy’s timeline, from the middle to the end of a month is when things get real active. I suggest they get Sub, trading or selling it for drugs at the first of the month. Things are hunky dory for a couple of weeks...all seems quiet, but the drugs probably get used up by middle of any given month, leaving two weeks before they can get a good fix. Two addicts in WD without tapering dealing with erratic sleep, irritable kids, improper nutrition, filthy conditions, LE, social services, nosy neighbors, eviction, court appearances and more was a recipe for disaster. Frankly, I’m stunned there was not a triple murder/suicide.
 
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That is all true and I agree with you.

But the very sad truth is, according to my ex social worker friend, there is NO PLACE to send the children that need to be rescued. My friend would very often end her case reports with the conclusion that the child should be immediately removed from the home. But the inescapable problem is that it is not her final decision.

Her reports are reviewed , and reviewed again, up the chain of command. And the people at the top have a very difficult situation. There are not enough 'beds' for the number of children that need to be taken from their homes. There are not enough foster homes, not enough group homes, and so there is no place to transfer these children to.

So when a social worker has the spider sense that tells her the bruises are not from the family dog, and the child does look malnourished----once the people at the top get the report, they send it back with their 'suggestions' of how to alleviate the issues.

Check with the family and look at their kitchen, give them more for stamps, tell them where the food bank is, have them remove the dog if necessary, etc etc.

That is why so many dedicated social workers burn out so early. It is depressing and devastating for them too, imo.

Families get a set amount for food stamps and that is it. Let's also not blame this fiasco on the family dog. There are social workers in Illinois who aren't doing their jobs and are making excuses for the inexcusable. A social worker's job is to guide the family to available resources. The social workers in this case didn't bother to guide this family to help with paying their utilities after police notified them.

The best place to transfer the children is usually to caring and concerned family members. This case had a history of a maternal grandmother successfully fighting for the safety of the older child and she won. She should have been approached about caring for AJ and his brother but was not and that, too, is inexcusable.

The system failed AJ and DCFS admits it.

JMO
 
It's very likely that they know many people who are locked up and I'm sure word spread quickly through the jail. This is a very small-town area, and while most people here are good, decent family-oriented folks, there is a small encroaching element of criminals on the fringes (most crime here is drunks, druggies and domestic disputes), but even most of the criminals would never torture and murder an innocent little child. I hope that these two never know a moment's peace for the rest of their miserable lives.

I agree that they should be prosecuted and sentenced to the fullest extent. But I do not condone further violence perpetrated against them or against any incarcerated individual, regardless of the crime. Period. Our society lacks civility enough without embracing what is just another form of vigilante justice.
 
I get the sense that because AF was from removed from his parents at only one month age, neither parent formed a bond with him, and when they gained custody at age 2, he really couldn't bond with these strangers. It wasn't as if he was going into an enriched environment. He has only one year with them and then a new child arrives and he is further shunted away from their attention, and affection. Looking at the hotel pool video, it looks to me like that child is getting fed more than marshmallows and water.

Responsible parents who refused to let drugs run their lives could have turned this all around and given this child safety and security.

But with these two, he had no chance. I suspect we'll find out that she was the one who perpetrated most of the final abuse. We might not be able to believe either one of their stories.

I agree with what I think was one of your main points, why take a two-year-old and place him with strangers (his bios)? Too much emphasis on family reunification, imho.
 
It seems they did not have many photos of him. It's like he did not exist. I guess being taken away at such a young age and for so long did make it difficult be a part of a family for this little guy. It's too bad she did not ask the foster parents to keep him. It would seem cold, but not colder than what they did to him.

I couldn't agree more with you. If she had asked the foster parents to keep him, I would applaud such an act. I don't see something like that as cold; although, I know some would disagree.
 
Monday, April 29th:
*Arraignment Hearing for both (@ 9am CT) – IL – Andrew “AJ” Freund, Jr. (5) (reported missing April 18, 2018, found buried on April 24, 2019, Crystal Lake) - *Andrew T. Freund, Sr. (60) “father” arrested (4/24/19) & charged (4/25/19) with 5 counts of 1st degree murder, 2 counts of aggravated battery, 2 counts of aggravated domestic battery, 1 count of failure to report death of child & 1 count of concealing a homicidal death (burying body) & concealing death of a person. $5M bond.
*JoAnn D. Cunningham (35) “mom” arrested (4/24/19) & charged (4/25/19) with 5 counts of 1st degree murder, 4 counts of aggravated battery of child, 1 count of aggravated battery, 2 counts of concealment of homicidal death & 1 count of failure to report death of child. $5M bond.
Arraignment hearing for both on 4/29.
 
Can anyone explain what happened to this poor child?
Notice his eye brows are nearly gone, his ears are misaligned & his head is distorted. In earlier photos I see a completely different child. He looks very thin with sunken eyes. WTH was going on to cause such abrupt facial changes?

In the photos with him wearing the cap his ears are NOT misaligned & he looks completely different.

If someone can get these three photos side by side, it’d be great. Tysm
 

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AJ wasn't too young for Adderall. In my experience, I've worked with numerous pre-K kids on it.

A few pages back I posted several links hoping to clear up the age misconception.
Also, since he was born addicted he was at an elevated risk for ADHD, among other things, per links.
 
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Abuse started before his birth, actually.
I agree, the autopsy will reveal much more.
His obituary mentioned his love of puzzles, I immediately thought he probably tried to be quiet, not risk bringing attention to himself. I’m sure the adults had reasons to make him play inside......

Poor baby!! He deserved so much better.
 
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