Seventeen years after testifying against his mother, AJ Hutto spoke publicly in 2025 about losing his sister and the lasting impact of the case. In an interview reported by MailOnline, he stood by his childhood account and described how difficult it was to testify against a parent.

His sister, seven-year-old Adrianna Hutto, died on August 8, 2007, after being found unresponsive in the family’s swimming pool in Esto, Florida. What initially appeared to be an accidental drowning became a murder investigation after AJ told authorities that their mother, Amanda Lewis, had deliberately submerged her. AJ was six at the time of Adrianna’s death.

The evidence that helped shape the trial

By the time Lewis went on trial in 2008, AJ was seven. He told the court that his mother had held Adrianna underwater and used a drawing to explain what he said he had witnessed.

His testimony became central to the prosecution’s case. Lewis was convicted of first-degree felony murder and aggravated child abuse. She received life imprisonment without parole and a further 30-year sentence for the abuse conviction. A subsequent appellate opinion confirmed the convictions arose from her daughter’s drowning.

AJ’s reflections as an adult

Speaking about the case in 2025, when he was reportedly 24, AJ rejected suggestions that others had coached him into accusing his mother. He said his evidence reflected what he remembered seeing.

He also described conflicting emotions surrounding the trial. Testifying against his mother was painful, but he recalled feeling relief that the circumstances he and his sister had experienced were ending.

After the trial, AJ was adopted. He has sought to protect his privacy and said he preferred to maintain the separation from his biological mother, explaining that renewed contact could bring back distressing memories.

Adrianna Elaine Hutto. Credit: Florida Department of Corrections

Lewis has disputed the verdict.

Lewis has maintained that Adrianna’s death was accidental and has challenged her conviction. Her position remains at odds with AJ’s account.

The legal dispute continued after his 2025 interview. Reporting in December that year described a motion for post-conviction relief alleging problems involving the jury during the original trial. Those allegations challenged the convictions, rather than seeking a ruling that would overturn them.

AJ’s decision to speak publicly offered an adult perspective on testimony he gave as a young child. His account focused on both his continued belief in what he told the court and his wish to preserve the private life he built afterward.