Julissa Thaler found guilty on all counts in murder of her 6-year-old son, Eli Hart
MINNEAPOLIS -- A Minnesota woman will spend the rest of her life in jail after a jury found her guilty Wednesday in the murder of her 6-year-old son.
Julissa Thaler, 29, was convicted of first- and second-degree murder in connection with the death of Eli Hart, whose body was found in her trunk during a traffic stop in Orono last year.
Thaler declined to take the stand in her own defense, and closing arguments began earlier Wednesday afternoon. The jury only needed two hours of deliberations. Court officials told WCCO that due to the gravity of the case, jurors were offered crisis counselors.
Originally facing second-degree murder charges, Thaler was indicted on the upgraded charges by a grand jury earlier this month.
Before his death, Hart's life was dominated by a custody battle between Thaler and his biological father, Tory Hart. Court records showed Hart was put into foster care after mounting concerns over his mother's mental health. But Thaler got sole custody less than two weeks before her arrest.
Case history
Thaler 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.
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. In Minnesota, it's a formality that if you're found guilty of first-degree murder, you spend the rest of your life in prison without parole.
There is still a sentencing hearing for family and friends to offer victim impact statements. That's scheduled for the morning of Feb. 16.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty released a statement soon after the verdict was announced, saying in part, "Eli's brutal murder is one of the most horrific cases I have encountered in 30 years working in the criminal legal system. Nothing will ever fill the emptiness Eli's father and other loved ones now live with every day, but I'm hopeful this verdict will make it just a bit easier to remember Eli as the toothless, happy, smiling little boy we have seen in photos."
Tory Hart filed a wrongful death suit against Dakota County employees who awarded custody to Thaler. That case is scheduled for trial in federal court in 2024.
