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A Minnesota mom named Julissa Thaler, who was arrested for allegedly killing her son, was indicted on Friday, January 13, and charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder.
Thaler was already facing charges of second-degree planned murder of her six-year-old son Eli Hart. An upgraded charge of first-degree murder has now been filed against 28-year-old Julissa Thaler. She is accused of fatally shooting her son several times before stashing the body in her car’s trunk.
Julissa Thaler charged with one count of first-degree murder for allegedly killing her six-year-old son
Six-year-old Eli Hart was allegedly shot by his mother, Julissa, several times. The latter then hid his body in the trunk of her car. Investigators discovered that Eli died of “multiple shotgun wounds” and listed his death as a homicide.
For the last two years, Eli has been in a custody battle between Julissa Thaler and his biological father, Tory Hart. It was discovered that Eli was placed in foster care in January 2021, considering Julissa’s mental condition.
However, she was awarded his sole custody two weeks before Eli was fatally shot. According to several documents, no concerns regarding Eli’s physical well-being were ever found.
In May 2022, Thaler was pulled over by Orono Police for driving a car with smashed windows. They noticed blood on her hands and face. After inspecting the car, they discovered Eli Hart's body in the trunk.
They also found a live shotgun shell and noticed a bullet hole in the back seat of the car she was driving. A year before the gruesome incident, Thaler was alleged to have stolen drugs.
Eli’s father, Tory, has filed a lawsuit against Dakota County and three of its officials for ignoring signs that possibly showed that Eli was unsafe with Julissa Thaler. Thaler also reportedly did not cooperate with the psychiatrist the court had appointed for her.
A judge has decided that the Minnesota mother is mentally competent to stand trial, and her jury trial is expected to begin on January 30. She was charged with second-degree murder in May 2022. However, on Friday, January 13, the court indicted Julissa on one count of first-degree murder of her son and set her bail at $2 million.
Bryan Leary, her public defender, stated that the prosecutors had offered a plea deal to Julissa, which would mean a 40-year sentence. However, according to CBS, she rejected the offer to plead guilty to the second-degree murder charge.
Leary told the Minneapolis Star Tribune:
“The only surprise in this indictment is how long it took the County Attorney’s Office to get one… defense of Thaler will point out the reasonable doubts that lurk in the evidence.”
The court found her to be mentally competent to stand trial; her jury trial begins on January 30
After Eli was killed in May 2022, it was found that Julissa Thaler wanted to learn how to use a gun. She also went to a gun range with a friend. According to court documents, Julissa often carried a shotgun covered in a gray blanket.
During the traffic stop, police found a gray blanket too. When the officers asked her about the blood on her, she came up with several excuses. She said that she was carrying deer meat and also that it was menstrual blood.
Investigators claimed that Julissa was not cooperative when they were trying to determine whether the car was involved in any situation. She was also trying to leave her house when they went to arrest her.
It was found that despite genuine concerns regarding the child’s safety in Julissa Thaler’s custody, Eli’s social worker and court guardian still decided to shut down the case just days before he was killed. KARE reported that “despite red flags,” the case was closed, and Julissa gained sole custody of the six-year-old. In a report that the court guardian wrote, it was mentioned:
“Thaler was doing everything she could to prohibit contact between Eli and his father.”
Her trial is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 30.
