Callum Jones
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
A Florida mother provided a chilling reaction to the verdict after her seven-year-old son testified against her in court by stating he saw his parent drown his sister.
AJ Hutto sent shockwaves across the US back in 2008 after telling a courtroom his mother, Amanda Lewis, killed his sister in a private swimming pool.
The youngster, who has since had his name changed and been protected, recalled the harrowing moment his mom 'dunked' seven-year-old Adrianna's head underwater and drowned her.
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His testimony of the crime went on to prove instrumental in the case, with Lewis convicted by a jury of first-degree murder and sentenced to a life behind bars without the possibility for parole.
The moment Lewis received her verdict was caught on cameras, and it's certainly a chilling moment.
As Lewis was found guilty of murdering her own daughter, she bowed her head to the floor so the cameras could not see her facial expressions.
It's evident however that Lewis was incredibly emotional and shocked by the verdict.
Ever since the mother received the life sentence, Lewis has continued to protest her innocence.
During the trial, AJ's stick drawing of the three around the pool was brought forward by prosecutor Larry Basford, who argued the picture shows how the young boy witnessed the distressing scene.
The then-seven-year-old said his 'momma' was in the picture 'killing my sister', while he also scribbled the words 'She Did' on the drawing, which he told the court meant 'she died,' while 'To Bad' written on the picture meant 'it was scary'.
When asked how Lewis was murdering her, he replied: "Putting her hand over her face."
24-year-old AJ has spoken out for the first time in 17 years since the dramatic case concluded, telling DailyMail: "One hundred per cent guilty. I stand by every word I said."
Campaigners argued the then seven-year-old was led by the prosecution team and highlighted some of his inconsistent answers.
Addressing this, AJ told the Mail: "I don't believe I was, what they've called, coached or anything like that. I just told them exactly what I saw word for word."
AJ, who has since got married and become a firefighter in his adult life, stated his childhood with Lewis was 'just darkness', 'trauma', and 'a lot of abuse'.
"Physically abused, both Adrianna and I were hit," he continued, as he went on to say the difference between his childhood home and that of his adoptive family as 'night and day.'
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, theChildhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.