(KNSI) — A jury in Hennepin County Wednesday convicted Julissa Thaler of first degree murder for the May 2022 shooting death of her six-year-old son, 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.
Eli was at the center of a bitter custody battle between Thaler and Eli’s father Tory Hart. Dakota County Social Services returned Eli to Thaler and awarded her sole custody over objections from Hart and foster parents regarding Thaler’s mental health and possible drug use.
Hart filed suit after Eli was killed.
A first degree murder conviction means an automatic life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Thaler will be sentenced on February 16th.
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