The monster Mom

2023-02-20 17:58:34 Written by Alex

A Minnesota woman has been sentenced to life without parole for the murder of her 6-year-old son, Eli Hart. Julissa Thaler, 29, was found guilty of first-degree premeditated murder and second-degree intentional murder on Feb. 8.

The child was found dead in the trunk of her vehicle in Mound, Minnesota in May 2022, having been shot multiple times with a shotgun.

Hennepin County woman sentenced to life in prison for murder of 6-year-old  son

On May 19, 2022, Julissa Thaler, who is 29 years old, allegedly shot Eli Hart multiple times with a shotgun, using up to nine shells. Following the shooting, she reportedly placed his body in the trunk of her Chevrolet Impala and the next day, disposed of some of his remains in a dumpster at a gas station.

 

“A citizen saw the vehicle at a gas station not long before the traffic stop,” an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case alleged. “The information provided was that the vehicle had stopped near the dumpsters.”

During the investigation, law enforcement officers searched the gas station dumpster and discovered a backpack and remain, which were later identified as belonging to the victim, Eli Hart.

 

In Hennepin County District Court, Judge Jay Quam handed down a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole to Julissa Thaler. The conviction of first-degree murder in the state of Minnesota carries a mandatory life sentence in prison according to state law.

 

As Julissa Thaler's trial unfolded, family members of the victim, Eli Hart, gave emotional testimony while his mother huddled with her attorneys, as reported by NBC affiliate KARE, based in Minneapolis.

Eli's stepmother, Josephine Josephson, described the strong bond and love shared between Eli and his father, saying it was evident every moment they were together. She went on to express the pain and grief that the family is still struggling with, emphasizing that nothing can ever replace the loss of their loved one.

Minnesota Woman Arrested, Charged In The Fatal Shooting Of Her 6-Year-Old  Son


Eli Hart’s aunt, Nikita Kromberg, said her nephew was more like a son.

According to the testimony, the loss of Eli Hart has had a deep impact on his family, with his youngest cousin struggling to cope with the pain and hating school as a result. The family has sought therapy to deal with the grief, and Eli's youngest cousin now remembers him as a butterfly.

During the trial, Eli's aunt, Kromberg, expressed her regret for not being able to save Eli while she was fostering him. 


She blamed herself for not documenting the encounters they had with Julissa Thaler, the perpetrator, and for not taking better precautions to protect Eli. Kromberg questioned how someone could commit such an evil act against an innocent and loving child.

The judge sought to console the grieving aunt.


“You realize it wasn’t your fault … it wasn’t your fault at all,” Quam said, according to KARE. “So the sooner you let go of that, the sooner you can appreciate all the time you did have with Eli. Thank you for what you did for Eli. You made his life better.”

Earlier this month, Julissa Thaler, the mother of the victim, was convicted of the murder. She was initially charged with second-degree murder only three days after the boy's death. Later in January, Thaler was indicted on a more severe charge of first-degree murder.

The violent incident occurred against the backdrop of a custody dispute between Julissa Thaler and her son's father, Tory Hart. During police questioning about the murder, evidence revealed that Thaler was preoccupied with her ex-partner.

At one point during questioning, she asked an officer if they needed her ex's name. She also made a statement about undisclosed information regarding her ex.

However, the victim's father did not make a statement in court on Thursday.
The mother only uttered a sentence during the proceedings.

“I’m innocent, fu– you all. You’re garbage,” she reportedly said.

 

The judge responded.
“Ms. Thaler, I don’t know that that’s appropriate here,” Quam said. “The worst thing that seems to happen to parents is to lose their child. It’s worse, though, when you don’t lose your child to something like cancer or an accident. It’s when someone takes that child from the world. What I can’t imagine, nobody can imagine, is when the person who takes a child from the world is the one that brought that child in.”
Then she was sentenced.


Prior to the murder of Eli Hart, a Dakota County judge had granted full custody to Julissa Thaler based on the recommendations of social workers, despite the objections raised by family members about her fitness as a caregiver.

The victim's father had informed the court about Thaler's history of drug abuse, paranoia, and hallucinations, but his concerns were apparently ignored. As a result, he has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dakota County and three social services employees, alleging that they were negligent in disregarding the warnings from the family.

Source: Law & Crime: Bringmethenews