In a dramatic legal turn, a Florida court has reopened the murder conviction of Amanda Lewis, sentenced to life in prison in 2008 based largely on the testimony of her then seven-year-old son. Nearly two decades later, a judge will review the case for potential constitutional violations, even as the now-adult son continues to assert his mother's guilt.
The Drowning That Led to a Life Sentence
The tragic sequence began on August 8, 2007, in Esto, Florida. Seven-year-old Adrianna Elaine Hutto was discovered unresponsive in the family swimming pool. Her mother, Amanda Lewis, made a frantic 911 call, reporting she had found her daughter face down in the water. Adrianna was pronounced dead at a hospital about an hour later.
Initially treated as a potential accident, the case transformed into a homicide investigation after Lewis's other child, AJ Hutto, then also seven years old, spoke to police. In a recorded interview, the boy stated, "Mama dunked my sister." He elaborated that his mother had thrown Adrianna into the pool after getting angry. This testimony became the cornerstone of the prosecution's case.
A Child's Testimony Seals the Fate
At the 2008 trial, Judge Allen Register ruled AJ competent to testify. The young boy's words and a simple stick-figure drawing he made were pivotal. When shown his drawing in court, AJ explained, "That's my mama. Killing my sister," adding that Lewis was "putting her hand over her face." The jury convicted Amanda Lewis of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse. She received a mandatory life sentence without parole plus an additional 30 years.
Lewis has maintained her innocence from the start, claiming the drowning was a tragic accident. Her initial appeal was rejected in 2010.
Seventeen Years Later: A Case Reexamined
In December 2025, the case entered a new phase. A Florida judge was formally assigned to review a post-conviction relief motion filed by Lewis's legal team. Her attorneys, led by Colin Miller, argue that several constitutional violations tainted the original trial. Their claims include:
- The improper removal of a competent juror.
- Alleged misconduct by other jurors.
- The assertion that one juror was underage at the time of the trial.
"If the court finds in Amanda’s favour on any one of these issues, her convictions will be thrown out," Miller stated. The review could lead to the conviction being overturned or a new trial being ordered.
A Son's Unwavering Account and a Mother's Plea
This legal development follows AJ Hutto's first public comments in 17 years. Now 24 years old, a married firefighter, he spoke to the Daily Mail earlier this year, insisting on anonymity for his current life. "I stand by every word I said," he affirmed. He described testifying against his mother as "heartbreaking" but also a relief that the ordeal was ending.
AJ, who was adopted by another family after the trial, described his childhood with Lewis as marked by "darkness, trauma" and physical abuse. He maintains his belief that his mother is "one hundred percent guilty."
Meanwhile, Amanda Lewis, who appeared on a television series in 2016 to proclaim her innocence, awaits the judge's review. The Florida justice system now faces a profound question: Did it correctly weigh the words of a traumatized child nearly two decades ago, or did procedural failures lead to a grave miscarriage of justice? The world watches as this heartbreaking case is reopened.
