August 8, 2007. It was a Wednesday in Esto, Florida. A tiny town of just a few hundred people where nothing ever really happens. Until it did. Amanda Lewis called 911, screaming that her daughter, seven-year-old Adrianna Hutto, was face down in the family’s above-ground pool.
At first, the police thought it was just a tragic, horrible accident. Kids slip. They fall. It’s a parent’s worst nightmare. But then, AJ Hutto spoke.
AJ was only six years old at the time. He told a story that didn’t just change the investigation; it destroyed his family. He said his "mama dunked" Adrianna. He said she got mad and held her head under the water. His words sent his mother to prison for life.
AJ Hutto Then: The Boy on the Stand
Watching the footage of the trial now is surreal. You’ve got this tiny kid sitting in a witness chair that’s way too big for him. He had to use a pointer to show the jury a drawing he’d made. It was a stick-figure drawing of a woman standing over a pool. "That's my mama," he told the court. "Killing my sister."
The defense tried their best to poke holes in it. Honestly, they had some good points. AJ’s story changed a lot. Sometimes he said he was outside by a tree; other times he said he was inside the house. He gave about 13 different versions of what happened that day.
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His mother, Amanda, always claimed he was coached. She thought her own father—who she didn't get along with—had put those ideas in the boy's head. Despite the inconsistencies and a passed polygraph test by Amanda, the jury only needed two hours. They found her guilty of first-degree murder.
AJ Hutto Now: Life After the Darkness
Fast forward to today. It’s 2026, and AJ Hutto isn’t that scared little boy anymore. He’s 24. He’s a man with a completely different life.
After the trial, AJ was adopted by another family. He basically got a fresh start, far away from the trauma of that house in Esto. According to recent reports and a rare interview he gave to the Daily Mail late last year, he’s now married and working as a firefighter.
He saves people for a living. Think about the irony of that for a second.
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AJ hasn't changed his mind, though. Even after nearly two decades, he stands by what he said. He recently described his childhood with Amanda as "just darkness." He remembers the physical abuse. He remembers the "punishments." To him, his mother is "one hundred percent guilty."
The Current Legal Drama
If you think this case is buried in the past, you're wrong. The legal battle is heating up again right now.
In November 2025, Amanda Lewis filed a new Motion for Post-Conviction Relief. Her lawyers are pointing at some major procedural red flags from the original trial. We're talking about jurors being removed without her being there and claims that one of the jurors might have been underage.
There’s also the issue of the medical examiner, Dr. Charles Siebert. He’s the one who did the autopsy and said Adrianna’s death was a homicide. Later on, he got in huge trouble for botched autopsies in other cases. It makes people wonder if he got this one wrong too.
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Why People are Still Talking About This
This case sticks with people because it’s a mess of "he said, she said." On one hand, you have a mother who passed a lie detector and has maintained her innocence for 18 years. On the other, you have a son who has carried the weight of his testimony into adulthood without flinching.
There was no physical evidence. No DNA. Just the word of a six-year-old.
What’s Next for the Case?
The Florida courts are currently reviewing the 2025 motion. If the judge finds that the original trial was constitutionally flawed, Amanda Lewis could actually get a new trial.
- Legal Review: The court is examining juror conduct and the removal of a juror during the 2008 proceedings.
- Public Interest: Groups like the "Making an Exoneree" program at Georgetown University have been digging into the case, claiming there's a real possibility of a wrongful conviction.
- AJ's Stance: Regardless of the legal outcome, AJ Hutto is unlikely to change his testimony if called to the stand again.
The story of AJ Hutto isn't just about a "then and now" comparison. It's about how memory, trauma, and a single testimony can shape the rest of a human being's life. Whether you believe the mother or the son, the reality is that the 2007 drowning remains one of Florida’s most haunting legal puzzles.
Keep an eye on the Florida appellate court filings through 2026. The decision on the motion for post-conviction relief will determine if Amanda Lewis stays in the Lowell Correctional Institute or if AJ Hutto has to face his past in a courtroom one more time.