Minnesota: Mom convicted of murdering 6-year-old son, judge calls ‘trash’ after sentencing
A Minnesota mother berated a judge when he sentenced her to life in prison for the murder of her six-year-old son.
Julissa Thaler, 29, was convicted of first-degree murder last week after her son Eli Hart was found dead in her suitcase.
Thaler was convicted Thursday in a Hennepin District Court, where Judge Jay Quam gave the convicted killer an opportunity to testify.
“Yes, I want to say something,” Thaler told the court. “I’m innocent, fk you all, you’re garbage.”
The horrifying murder was discovered after Thaler was stopped at a traffic stop in Orono. Officers saw that Thaler was covered in blood and bits of flesh.
Thaler was driving a car with a shattered rear window and a missing tire. When they opened their trunk, they discovered their son’s body and shotgun investigators believe Thaler killed him earlier.
After searching her car, they also found fired and unfired shotgun shells. Prosecutors argued Thaler shot Eli nine times while he was in his car seat.
Detectives were also able to track Thaler’s movements to several dumpsters in the area, where she appears to have discarded evidence — including the damaged child seat and his school backpack.
Investigators believe she was motivated by an ongoing custody battle with Eli’s father, Tory Hart.
Investigators later found a series of troubling Google searches on Thaler’s laptop in the months leading up to Eli’s death in May 2022.
Some of the searches included “how much blood can a six year old lose”, “strongest knockout drugs” and “how to keep a kid out of school for a month”.
Thaler also searched for fraudulent life insurance policies, including “qualified accidental deaths,” “does life insurance cover drowning,” “how to commit crimes and blame children,” and “student loans for six-year-olds.”
It took a jury less than two hours to find Thaler guilty on all counts of first-degree first degree murder and second-degree first degree murder
After the sentencing, family members read victims’ impact statements and told the court how Eli had touched their lives.
“He was so nice and amazing. Always had a smile on his face. He made friends so quickly and was always wanting to explore,” said Nikita Kronberg, Hart’s cousin and Eli’s former foster mother.
“The love and connection Tory had for his only son was something I got to see,” said Hart’s wife Josie Josephson. The grieving father stood beside her but did not speak. “You could see the love and connection they shared every second they were together. Now we only have memories and they are not enough.’
“No one will ever know why she did what she did to Eli,” Kronberg said. “We can only assume Tory and Eli should be kept apart”
Hart’s family is currently suing Dakota County Social Services for allowing Eli to stay with his mother despite her continued drug use and deteriorating mental health.
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https://metro.co.uk/2023/02/17/minnesota-mom-convicted-of-killing-six-year-old-son-calls-judge-garbage-after-sentencing-18302737/ Minnesota: Mom convicted of murdering 6-year-old son, judge calls 'trash' after sentencing