Mother Charged With Murder After Her Son’s Body was Found in the Trunk of a Car

(KNSI) — The mother of a six-year-old boy who was found murdered Friday morning has officially been charged.

Julissa Thaler was charged Monday in Hennepin County with one count of second-degree murder.

According to the criminal complaint, someone called 911 on May 20th to say they saw a car with a shattered rear window and a blown out tire. Police found the car and conducted a traffic stop. They say a man was in the car with Thaler, whose hand was bloody. Police say they saw a bullet hole in the backseat. A shotgun, one shotgun shell, and a spent shell casing were found in the car. The man in the car has not been charged.

Officers conducted a search warrant and found the body of Eli Hart in the trunk. A preliminary autopsy showed Hart had been shot multiple times.

Hart was reportedly at the center of a bitter custody battle between Thaler and his father, Tory Hart. Authorities placed Eli in foster care following concerns surrounding Thaler’s ability to care for her son properly. A caseworker recently closed the file and awarded Thaler sole custody despite objections from family members and foster parents.

Bail was set at $2 million.

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