It is horrendous to read about how AJ was treated, abused, murdered and discarded. It is really heart wrenching to think about what this poor little boy endured for so long at the hands of his Mother and Father. I really do not like the cliche "he is in a better place now", but in this case I think he is. It is clear DCFS failed repeatedly and served no purpose and therefore it is likely AJ would have continued to be neglected, tortured and abused and would have continued to suffer emotionally and physically, given a complete lack of any intervention from anyone and everyone. AJ's only way out, so sadly, was death. I pray that he is at peace and truly is at a better place because no one can hurt him anymore.
I agree that regardless of drug use JoAnne is, was, and would continue to be an abuser. I truly hope that woman spends everyday for the rest of her life under lock and key lonely and alone and haunted by her actions. I really do. Her first husband stated that once she became addicted to pain medication she changed but he also said prior to drug abuse she was decent and attractive etc - my words for what good things about her I recall he said/described. I disagree because I think she pulled the wool over his eyes and then "the honeymoon was over" and her true colors came out and he finally booked,.....smart and lucky guy. I think JoAnne is just plain mean spirited and controlling and manipulative and purely vicious. Anyone that treats an animal, let alone a child, so cruelly and viciously is not worthy of anything, not any empathy nor any sympathy. Animal abusers and Child abusers are the lowest of the low as far as human beings go in my minds eye. She is God's project now...... I hope anyone and everyone else is done with her for good and that she goes away forever.
Drew, "Dad". In my minds eye he is nothing but a snake oil salesman. He can point the finger at JoAnne all he wants but he is no different, perhaps worse because he could have protected his child had he chosen to since he tries to make it seem like he was not happy with the punishments JoAnne doled out, yet he did NOTHING. He knew, he knew all along what HIS SON was suffering at the hands of JoAnne, and very likely himself. I think the most involvement he had with or in AJ's life was probably the time spent locating a burial site, buying items to assist in hiding and cleaning up after his son's death and concealing his son's death by putting the little boy in a plastic bin and leaving it, AJ's little body, IN the home for several days before depositing AJ all alone in an unmarked grave in a field far from home. What kind of a man/father/human being does that? !!! Both Drew and JoAnne do belong in prison for the rest of their lives and need to pay for their actions and failures to act.
I am so angry and sad about how AJ's life was and how it ended.