A Minnesota mom has been arrested on suspicion of murder after her six-year-old son was found dead in the trunk of her car less than two weeks after she was awarded full custody of the child. Julissa Thaler, 28, was arrested over the weekend and has been kept at the Hennepin County Jail on charges of murdering her son.
However, she is yet to be formally charged. The incident has left everyone shocked. Police have launched an investigation but the exact reason behind the horrifying murder is unclear. According to reports, the boy's father Tory Hart was in a custody fight over the son, while Thaler faced drug addiction challenges.
Killed Her Own Son
Thaler was arrested after a traffic stop in Orono, Minnesota, after getting a 911 call about a vehicle driving on a tire rim with the back window smashed out, according to KMSP. Thaler was driving the silver car along with another man and after the car was stopped cops discovered blood in the vehicle and searched it.
They discovered her son, Eli Hart, dead in the boot. Later family members also identified the deceased as Elli Hart.
"We believe the driver of the vehicle, the female, is the prime suspect we're investigating at this time," Orono Police Chief Corry Farniok said. "We believe she's involved."
Further evidence of foul play was later discovered at a nearby petrol station where the automobile had stopped.
Thaler was arrested by the Orono Police Department on Friday and taken to the jail shortly after 2:30 a.m. The 27-year-old male who was in the car with her had not been charged. According to Fox9, Thaler, who has not been charged, was recently granted full custody of Eli, despite court paperwork indicating that the boy's father, Tory Hart, had also requested custody.
Mental and Drug Issues
Police are still investigating and are unsure what prompted Thaler to kill her son. According to KMSP, the boy's father was fighting for custody of his son.
According to the father's fiancée, Josie Josephson, the mother struggled with drug addiction and mental health issues. Despite their protests, the mother was granted complete custody. "No matter how many cries we cried, they ignored us," she said. "No matter how many warning signs there were."
Josephson also told Fox9 that Thaler has suffered with mental issues and drug addiction in the past.
Thaler describes herself as an 'Aquarius' on her Facebook profile. She describes herself as "Mommy. Feminist and advocate."
Tory Hart's Facebook page has a lot of pictures of him smiling with his baby. He had previously been denied custody of his son owing to " several false Orders of Protection filed by Eli's mother," according to the GoFundMe website.
Eli moved in with a relative named Nikita Kronberg in January 2021. Kronberg claims the youngster formed a bond with his father during this period. Tory taught his son both how to ride a bike and how to fish.
In December 2021, Eli moved back in with his mother. Tory attempted to gain custody of his son during this time due to Thaler's "many red flags." According to the GoFundMe page, this resulted in more bogus Orders of Protection being filed.
Despite many individuals reporting Thaler's alleged abuse to Child Protective Services, she was granted custody of her son on May 10, 2022.
