Parents Of A.J. Freund Return To Court Monday
Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham are each being held on $5 million bond and are accused of murdering their 5-year-old son A.J.
Watch CBS News
Andrew Freund Sr. and JoAnn Cunningham are each being held on $5 million bond and are accused of murdering their 5-year-old son A.J.
DCFS has placed A.J.'s case worker and supervisor on administrative duties, removed from child care decisions, while an investigation continues.
Four months before 5-year-old A.J. Freund was killed, he told a doctor "maybe someone hit me with a belt. Maybe mommy didn't mean to hurt me" after police found a mysterious bruise on his hip, according to a timeline released by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
One month after an appeals court ordered a new trial for 53-year-old James Gibson in the 1989 murders of two men, based on evidence he was tortured into confessing, prosecutors have dropped charges, but insist he was not wrongfully convicted.
Four months before 5-year-old A.J. Freund's parents allegedly beat him to death, there appear to be significant discrepancies between a police report noting deplorable conditions inside the family's house, and a home visit by a DCFS investigator the next day, which ultimately deemed an allegation of neglect to be unfounded.
A.J. Freund's parents forced the 5-year-old into a cold shower for an extended period of time, and the 5-year-old was repeatedly struck all over his body, leading to his death, McHenry County prosecutors alleged in court Thursday morning.
A 33-year-old reputed gang member has been convicted of murder in the 2012 shooting death of 7-year-old Heaven Sutton, who was killed by a stray bullet while selling snow cones and candy in the North Austin neighborhood.
Detectives in northwest Indiana have released surveillance images of two people wanted in connection with the murder of a 19-year-old man in Gary.
A 7-year-old girl who was gunned down while selling snow cones in Chicago 2012 would have been 14-years-old this year.
Kevin Clewer's family handed out flyers Saturday and encouraged anyone with information to come forward and help solve the crime.
An Indianapolis man has been charged with killing a 35-year-old woman and her 13-year-old son last month in Gary, Indiana.
The bond for a Wheaton man accused of murdering his brother-in-law was set at $3 million Monday, according to the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office.
A man convicted in the September 2013 murder of a Wheaton woman has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The mayor of Aurora said he was blindsided that Thomas Kokoraleis, a convicted murderer and sex offender, is Aurora's newest resident. He lives at Wayside Cross Ministries, and the mayor is calling it a risk the city shouldn't have to take.
Thomas Kokoraleis went to prison for the 1982 murder of a woman who lived in Elmhurst. Now he's a free man, despite efforts to keep him locked up.
Kokoraleis served more than 36 years behind bars for the murder of Lorry Ann Borowski before he was released from the Illinois River Correctional Center on Friday morning.
Here are five fast facts about Thomas Kokoraleis, who was released from prison Friday after serving more than 36 years in prison for the grisly 1982 murder of Lorraine "Lorry" Ann Borowski.
Hundreds of family, friends, and fellow officers turned out Friday morning for the funeral for slain Officer John Rivera, killed while off-duty last weekend in the River North neighborhood.
The man accused of kidnapping 13-year-old Jayme Closs is expected to plead guilty in Wisconsin Wednesday.
The two men charged with the murder of officer John Rivera both have past criminal records, according to Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson.
Menelik Jackson 24, and Jovan Battle 32, both were charged with one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. Jackson also was charged with one count of resisting/obstructing a police officer.
A Villa Park man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a security guard at River North nightclub Sound Bar on March 8.
Authorities in Wisconsin continue to search for a missing 2-year-old girl from Milwaukee, who might have been kidnapped her father, who also is suspected of killing her mother.
A man charged in the disappearance of a South Chicago Heights mother of six is due in court today. Family reported Jessica Flores missing last month.
The man charged with killing a McHenry County Sheriff's Deputy at a Rockford hotel was scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday.
A mother of five was remembered Thursday night, after she was hit and killed along Interstate 57 in a hit-and-run crash on the South Side of Chicago this week.
With more rain on the way this weekend, a Chicago children's theater is worried. They suffered flood damage already this week, and more damage could mean an uncertain future.
The Chicago Board of Education on Thursday approved an amended budget plan for the Chicago Public Schools that avoids laying off hundreds of teachers by assuming $150 million in additional state funding that is far from guaranteed.
The ex-Sangamon County Sheriff's deputy convicted of murdering Sonya Massey in her kitchen is asking for medical release from a state prison — and maintaining that Massey "attacked" him.
Chicago's Office of Emergency Management, which oversees roughly 200 traffic aides, says two were seriously injured by drivers this summer — leaving many uneasy on the job as Lollapalooza brings heavy traffic downtown.
For years, Deborah Witzburg sounded the loudest alarm when uncovering hundreds of cases of corruption and fraud inside Chicago city government.
The Trump administration on Thursday reiterated its view that China's alleged efforts to collect millions of American voter registration files constituted election interference.
John Kelly, who lobbied for the Chicago White Sox, Bally's and the United Center, is the latest name to join the list of candidates to become the city's next mayor
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias' bill to crack down on rogue tow truck companies and strengthen oversight has been sent to the desk of Gov. JB Pritzker.
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek got an assist Wednesday from former President Barack Obama, who endorsed his bid to flip a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in a video of the two shooting hoops.
The Trump administration is taking aim at power grid operator PJM Interconnection over rising electricity bills that affect Illinois and Indiana residents.
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
East Chicago, Indiana is being placed on a precautionary boil water advisory starting Monday morning for planned installations that could affect water safety.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
Chicago just barely made the top 20 in the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 ranking of the country's fittest cities.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
A Wisconsin appeals court reversed a lower court ruling that had declared Act 10 unconstitutional, keeping the 2011 law limiting public workers' collective bargaining rights in place as unions prepare to appeal to the state Supreme Court.
The changing developments at 1800 N. Clybourn Ave. represent a microcosm of 40 years of changing development priorities on the Clybourn Corridor as a whole, and in Chicago and beyond.
The food deserts on Chicago's South and West sides could spread even wider if seven Save A Lot grocery stores close.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment.
Grant Park was filled with tens of thousands of people Thursday for the start of Lollapalooza, as warm weather greeted festivalgoers on day one of the four-day music festival.
Academy Award-winning Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has died in a motorcycle crash.
Actor William Shatner and his daughter, Melanie Shatner Gretsch, recall how they helped each other as they fought Stage 4 cancer side by side.
Carly Simon, the singer known for 1970s hits like "You're So Vain," announced she has Parkinson's disease and also was treated for basal cell carcinoma.
Paramount Skydance on Friday said it would delay the deal until as late as June 2027.
Chief meteorologist Albert Ramon has the latest First Alert Weather forecast.
A father is thanking the teen lifeguard who saved his 10-year-old son from drowning in Santa Cruz, California.
A mother of five was remembered Thursday night, after she was hit and killed along Interstate 57 in a hit-and-run crash on the South Side of Chicago this week.
The Chicago Board of Education on Thursday approved an amended budget plan for the Chicago Public Schools that avoids laying off hundreds of teachers by assuming $150 million in additional state funding that is far from guaranteed.
With more rain on the way this weekend, a Chicago children's theater is worried. They suffered flood damage already this week, and more damage could mean an uncertain future.
With more rain on the way this weekend, a Chicago children's theater is worried. They suffered flood damage already this week, and more damage could mean an uncertain future.
A mother of five was remembered Thursday night, after she was hit and killed along Interstate 57 in a hit-and-run crash on the South Side of Chicago this week.
Grant Park was filled with tens of thousands of people Thursday for the start of Lollapalooza, as warm weather greeted festivalgoers on day one of the four-day music festival.
Lollapalooza 2026 takes over Grant Park Thursday with headlining performances from Lorde, Charli XCX, the Smashing Pumpkins, Olivia Dean, Tate McRae and more.
The Chicago Board of Education on Thursday approved an amended budget plan for the Chicago Public Schools that avoids laying off hundreds of teachers by assuming $150 million in additional state funding that is far from guaranteed.
Chicago's Office of Emergency Management, which oversees roughly 200 traffic aides, says two were seriously injured by drivers this summer — leaving many uneasy on the job as Lollapalooza brings heavy traffic downtown.
Shavonne Worthy said she visited her mother's grave at Oakridge-Glen Oaks Cemetery in Hillside and found an empty hole where the headstone had stood for nearly 10 years — and the cemetery's new owner told her it was removed intentionally.
Earlier this month, charges were dropped in one case against Weinstein, but he still faces charges in New York and California.
The summer camp serves about 75 kids every year, with the mission to help them heal from a violent loss.
While Mayor Brandon Johnson hasn't announced if he will run for re-election next year, he's boasting about lower vacancy rates for Mag Mile buildings and taking credit for the positive changes.
Tristan Peters drew a bases-loaded walk in the 11th inning to force in automatic runner Chase Meidroth and the Chicago White Sox edged the Yankees 2-1.
Alex Bregman drove in the go-ahead run with a 10th-inning double and the Chicago Cubs went on to a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
The White Sox stayed 1 1/2 games ahead of Cleveland in the AL Central.
St. Louis snapped a three-game losing streak. It had lost nine of its last 11 games entering play Wednesday.
A fired-up Dennis Allen wants more from his defense, saying despite all the takeaways last year, they weren't good enough in any fashion, and when it comes to the pass rush, it's on the whole unit.
Two Mundelein-area men are facing charges connected to the murder of a man who disappeared last November.
Authorities have not yet identified partial human remains found in the Fox River, and it is not yet known whether they are connected to a boat crash or another incident.
Shavonne Worthy said she visited her mother's grave at Oakridge-Glen Oaks Cemetery in Hillside and found an empty hole where the headstone had stood for nearly 10 years — and the cemetery's new owner told her it was removed intentionally.
A man stood charged Wednesday with firing a gun at a car and going on to lead Illinois State Police on a chase on I-57 this week.
A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a film producer on charges that he defrauded clients out of more than $100 million.