He Was Just 7 When He Saw His Sister Die—Now, 17 Years Later, He’s Ready to Speak

Seventeen years have passed since a Florida courtroom fell silent as a 7-year-old boy bravely testified against the one person meant to protect him: his mother. Now an adult, AJ Hutto is breaking his silence, speaking publicly for the first time since the harrowing day he took the witness stand and pointed the finger at Amanda Lewis—his biological mother and, as he claims, his sister’s killer.

At just seven years old, AJ told jurors he saw his mother drown his younger sister, Adrianna, in the backyard pool of their family home in Esto, Florida. The year was 2008, and that chilling testimony shocked the nation. Amanda Lewis was ultimately convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, sentenced to life behind bars.

Now 24 and living under a different name to protect his privacy, AJ has stepped into the public eye once more, this time voluntarily. Speaking to The Daily Mail, he offered a firm and heartbreaking reaffirmation of what he saw that day.

“She’s one hundred percent guilty,” he said. “I stand by every word I said in court.”

A Childhood Memory Etched in Trauma

AJ’s memories of the day his sister died remain vivid. He was just a child—innocent, vulnerable, and confused—but what he witnessed is something no child should ever see. According to AJ, the drowning wasn’t an accident, but a deliberate and violent act.

In court, AJ submitted a drawing that would become a key piece of evidence in the trial. The haunting image depicted three stick figures beside a pool, paired with chilling phrases like “She did” and “To Bad,” which AJ explained as meaning, “She died” and “It was scary.”

At the time, questions were raised about whether AJ had been manipulated or coached by adults. But Judge Allen Register deemed him competent to testify. Now, nearly two decades later, AJ insists his words were unfiltered and real.

“I don’t think I was coached,” he explained. “No one told me what to say. I told them what I saw—word for word.”

According to police reports, AJ told investigators that his mother had become enraged after Adrianna misbehaved and sprayed cleaning solution in the house. In a moment of fury, she allegedly forced her daughter into the pool and held her head underwater until she stopped moving.

Signs of Abuse and a Troubled Home

Though initial responders considered the death an accidental drowning, that changed quickly after AJ’s interview and the findings of the coroner. The autopsy revealed bruises on Adrianna’s face consistent with a handprint—evidence that aligned with AJ’s description of Amanda “dunking” her daughter during a burst of anger.

The physical findings, coupled with AJ’s testimony, painted a picture of a deeply dysfunctional household. Investigators noted that the home was poorly maintained, with few toys or basic resources for the children. Both AJ and Adrianna, he now says, were regularly subjected to physical abuse.

“My childhood with Amanda was pure darkness,” AJ recalled. “There was trauma. There was pain. And it happened often. Sometimes it was random—we didn’t even know why we were being hurt.”

A New Life—But Not Without Scars

After the trial concluded and Amanda Lewis was sentenced to life in prison without parole, AJ was placed in a new home. He was later adopted, and with time, began the long road to healing.

Today, AJ is married, working as a firefighter, and determined to protect lives—perhaps in response to the life he was unable to save. While he has made peace with his past, he says he will never speak to Amanda Lewis again and does not refer to her as his mother.

“She lost that title the day she took Adrianna’s life.”

Though he’s tried to move forward, the memories linger. He can still see the water, still hear the cries, still feel the helplessness. The image of his sister slipping beneath the surface of that pool remains burned into his mind.

Amanda Lewis Still Claims Innocence

From behind bars at the Homestead Correctional Institution for Women in South Florida, Amanda Lewis continues to maintain that her daughter’s death was a tragic accident. She insists Adrianna fell into the pool, and by the time she reached her, it was too late.

In recent years, she has renewed her efforts to overturn the conviction. She reportedly passed a polygraph test and has retained new legal counsel to help reopen the case. She has also claimed that she was pressured into turning down a plea deal that would have reduced the charge to manslaughter with a 10-year sentence.

But for AJ, no legal appeal or polygraph result can erase what he witnessed with his own eyes.

“I know what I saw,” he said firmly. “I lived it. And I’ve had to live with it every day since.”

An Ongoing Fight Between Memory and Justice

Cases like this stir painful debates about the reliability of child witnesses, the long-term impacts of trauma, and the weight of justice. AJ’s account shaped the outcome of the case, but it also changed the course of his own life forever.

He will never forget his sister’s smile, nor the way she was taken. And though Amanda Lewis continues to fight from her prison cell, AJ’s testimony remains a powerful anchor for the truth as he knows it.

“It’s not about revenge. It’s about truth,” he said. “And telling it matters.”