Julissa Thaler, mother accused of shooting 6-year-old son, indicted on two counts of murder
MINNEAPOLIS -- The mother who is accused of fatally shooting her 6-year-old son was indicted by a grand jury on Friday and was charged with one count each of first-degree murder and second-degree murder.
Julissa Thaler, 28, was charged in May of 2022 with second-degree murder in the death of Eli Hart. She was arrested in Orono when a caller reported that the car she was driving had a shattered rear window and a blown-out tire.
Police saw blood on Thaler's hand, the criminal complaint said, and found Hart's body in the trunk of the car. The medical examiner said the boy died of "multiple shotgun wounds," and listed his death as a homicide.
The last two years of Eli Hart's life revolved around a custody battle between Thaler and Eli's biological father, Tory Hart. Dakota County documents say that Eli Hart was placed into family foster care after concerns regarding his mother's mental health grew. Documents noted that there were not any concerns about Eli Hart's physical well-being, and Thaler was awarded sole custody less than two weeks before her arrest.
Since Eli Hart's death, a judge determined that she was mentally competent to stand trial and can assist with her own defense.
She was offered a plea deal soon after, but rejected the offer to plead guilty to the second-degree murder charge and serve 40 years in prison. Her trial was scheduled to begin at the end of January.