Amanda Marrazzo

JoAnn Cunningham, right, leaves the McHenry County Courthouse in Woodstock in April.

‘She knew there was all this evidence against her.’ JoAnn Cunningham pleads guilty to murder in beating death of 5-year-old son AJ Freund of Crystal Lake.

July 25, 2024 at 2:03 p.m.

For nearly eight months, JoAnn Cunningham emphatically denied fatally abusing her 5-year-old son AJ in tearful phone calls and letters she penned to family and friends while awaiting trial and...

Former Harvard city clerk on trial in McHenry County for possession of child pornography

December 5, 2019 at 1:03 a.m.

A trial started this week in McHenry County for a former city clerk of Harvard who is accused of possessing child pornography on a flash drive found in his desk...

A K-9 officer works near the home of 5-year-old AJ Freund on April 18, 2019, in Crystal Lake. The boy had been reported missing but later was found dead.

McHenry County judge gives OK to demolish Crystal Lake house where slain 5-year-old AJ Freund lived

December 21, 2019 at 1:23 a.m.

The dilapidated, mold-ridden home in Crystal Lake where 5-year-old Andrew "AJ" Freund was allegedly beaten to death by his parents in April can be demolished, a McHenry County judge ruled...

Murder charge against eye doctor in girlfriend’s stabbing in Schaumburg prompts police to renew look at crash that killed his wife in 2011

July 5, 2022 at 2:24 p.m.

The suburban eye doctor charged with murder in his girlfriend's stabbing death has been ordered to be held without bond because a judge said the "presumption of his guilt is...

This 2012 photo provided by Juozas Valiusaitis shows Neringa Venckiene in Lithuania.

Woman who lived in northwest suburbs and worked as florist before being extradited to Lithuania on criminal charges is free on bail

November 20, 2019 at 2:11 a.m.

A former Lithuanian judge who exposed a pedophile ring that allegedly involved high-ranking officials in Lithuania and who was recently extradited from the Chicago area, where she had been living,...

Wonder Lake woman gets probation and jail time for providing fatal dose of drugs in death of Harvard woman

November 12, 2019 at 10:23 p.m.

A Wonder Lake woman was sentenced last week to time in the county jail and two years of probation for delivering what prosecutors said was the fatal dose of oxycodone...

McHenry County prosecutors seek access to video taken inside AJ Freund home in Crystal Lake during period when community was searching for him

November 9, 2019 at 1:09 a.m.

Prosecutors are seeking — and are expected to receive — a video taken inside the home of 5-year-old AJ Freund during the time the Crystal Lake community was searching for...

Former Uber driver from Elgin found guilty of sexually abusing female passenger

January 5, 2020 at 5:58 p.m.

A 29-year-old former Uber driver was found guilty Tuesday of sexually abusing a female passenger. Following a bench trial before McHenry County Judge Robert Wilbrandt, Ahmed Tawfeeq of Elgin was...

Cary woman who victim’s family said ‘delivered the ammunition’ that led to fatal Xanax overdose sentenced to four years

October 26, 2019 at 12:36 a.m.

A 19-year-old woman died after overdosing on Xanax in 2018 and on Friday, a McHenry County judge sentenced a woman who delivered the drug to four years in prison. Reanna...

Lawyer says resolution being discussed in criminal case of father accused in slaying of 5-year-old Crystal Lake boy AJ Freund

October 24, 2019 at 8:40 p.m.

The attorney for the Crystal Lake man accused in the slaying of his 5-year-old son met with prosecutors and a McHenry County judge on Thursday and said they are working...

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