Jury Selection Monday for Trial of Mother Accused of Fatally Shooting Son, Stashing his Body in the Trunk

(KNSI) — The woman accused of fatally shooting her six-year-old son and driving around with his body in the trunk of a car goes on trial starting Monday.

Jury selection begins at 9:30 in the trial of Julissa Thaler. According to the criminal complaint, on May 20th, 2022, police in Orono stopped Thaler because one of her car’s windows was smashed out, and she was driving on a bare tire rim. Thaler appeared disheveled and covered in blood and fluid, which appeared to be a blood-like substance, and police say they saw suspected human remains splattered all over the inside of the car, including around a bullet hole in the back seat. Thaler told police it was deer meat and menstrual blood. Police let her go.

During the traffic stop, police say they found a shotgun, one shotgun shell, and a spent shell casing in the car. 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.

Thaler was found later and arrested.

She was charged with second-degree murder and offered a plea deal of 40 years in prison but did not respond to the offer before being indicted on first-degree murder. A first-degree murder conviction in Minnesota carries an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole.

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.

Tory Hart has sued Dakota County and three of its employees, accusing officials of ignoring signs that Eli wouldn’t be safe in Thaler’s care.

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