(KNSI) — The mother convicted of murdering her six-year-old son will spend the rest of her life in prison.
A jury in Hennepin County found 29-year-old Julissa Thaler guilty of first and second-degree murder on February 8th for the May 2022 shooting death of Eli Hart. Eli’s body was found in the trunk of a car following a search warrant conducted by Orono police.
They stopped Thaler after someone called 911 saying there was a car driving around on a rim with the back windshield smashed out. Thaler was covered in blood, and there were suspected human remains on the inside of the car. There was also a bullet hole in the back seat near where the window was smashed out. Investigators determined Eli was shot nine times with a sawed-off shotgun.
The boy was at the center of a bitter custody battle between Thaler and Eli’s father Tory Hart. A judge had just returned Eli to Thaler’s care ten days before he was murdered.
A GoFundMe page has been launched to help build a permanent memorial and raise awareness for children in the foster care system in Eli Hart’s name. Learn more and donate by clicking here.
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