Mother Found Guilty Of Killing Son Days After Obtaining Full Custody

In a case that raised concerns about the behavior of child welfare officials, a Minnesota woman who asked a store clerk for ammo that would “blow the biggest hole” was found guilty on Wednesday of killing shooting her 6-year-old son just 10 days after obtaining full custody of him.

According to investigators, Eli was shot as he was in his mother’s car in a Lake Minnetonka Regional Park parking lot in Minnetrista. After stopping her for a traffic infraction on May 20, police discovered the body in the trunk.

Julissa Thaler found guilty on all counts in murder of her 6-year-old son, Eli Hart https://t.co/E3W3EaHuv1 pic.twitter.com/Pg9Wjxax1I

— WCCO – CBS Minnesota (@WCCO) February 9, 2023

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Bryan Leary, the defense attorney, said she contributed to the boy’s death but did not shoot him during closing statements. According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, he claimed that there were no eyewitnesses, photographs, or videos linking her to the murder.

Leary stated, “She’s not charged with the offense they have proven. “They have not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the gun was in her hands when it was discharged nine times into her kid,” the prosecutor said. “She destroyed evidence, lied to authorities, and fled.”

Both Thaler’s testimony and her defense’s witness list were empty. Life in prison is the obligatory sentence for the offense. The judgment date is set for February 16.

Thaler and Tory Hart, Eli’s father, were engaged in a custody battle. After Eli’s passing, Hart filed a lawsuit against Dakota County Social Services, claiming that workers had sent his son back to Thaler despite worries about his deteriorating mental health and alleged drug usage.

In a statement issued following the verdict, Tory Hart expressed the family’s gratitude to the jury, the judge, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, and justice partners for their hard work. Eli may have avoided this awful and heartbreaking situation if he had never been sent back to a dangerous environment.

Late on Wednesday morning, the state and Thaler’s defense team both rested their cases. The defense rested without calling a single witness after the defendant informed Judge Jay Quam that she would not take the witness stand against the recommendation of her lawyers.

The main detective in the shooting death of 6-year-old Eli Hart, Kyle Kirschner, was contacted by prosecutors to conclude their case. According to Raguse, Kirschner went over a “plethora” of specifics and provided persuading testimony regarding Google search results discovered on Thaler’s computer and other electronic devices.

Defense lawyer Rebecca Noothed brought up more search phrases that were found during cross-examination, including inquiries concerning blood banks and Red Cross blood donations. They made the implication that the question “how much blood can a 6-year-old lose” was taken out of context and instead addressed blood donation.

Bryan Leary, the defense’s lead attorney, acknowledged that Thaler “aided and abetted” in the murder of Eli but insisted that “she’s not charged with a crime that they’ve proven.”

On May 20, 2022, Thaler was stopped by the police for a traffic infraction and they later found Eli Hart’s body in the trunk of her vehicle. A shotgun had been used to shoot the youngster many times, and a weapon was also discovered in the trunk.

Thaler and Tory Hart, Eli’s father, were engaged in a custody battle. After Eli’s passing, Hart filed a lawsuit against Dakota County Social Services, claiming that workers had sent his son back to Thaler despite worries about his deteriorating mental health and alleged drug usage.

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