Jury selection underway in case of 6-year-old found slain in mom's car trunk

A mother on trial in the fatal shooting of her 6-year-old son asked a Hennepin County judge this week for warnings before the presentation of graphic evidence so she could exit the courtroom to avoid seeing what's she's accused of doing.

Julissa Angelica Genrich Thaler was indicted on first-degree murder charges in January in connection with the death of her son, Eli Hart. In May, shortly after she regained parental custody, his body was found with nine gunshot wounds along with a shotgun in the trunk of her car.

Jury selection is underway and expected to take most of the week. During a pretrial hearing Monday, Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Dan Allard said photos in this case are "as bad as I've seen in any case," and he objected to Thaler's request for a warning, saying she has to be present at such critical phases of the trial.

Thaler, 28, of Spring Park, slowly shook her head and sat with her arms crossed beside defense attorney Bryan Leary as District Judge Jay Quam said he doesn't have any authority to excuse Thaler. He denied the request.

Allard said he's showing only necessary graphic evidence and is mindful of what the family and jury would be exposed to. He said even he doesn't want to see certain images again.

"They are horrid," he said.

Thaler again on Monday declined to take a plea deal. Instead of pleading guilty and accepting the offer of a 40-year sentence, she is looking at a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of release if she is convicted.

Court documents accuse Thaler of buying a shotgun and learning how to shoot it days before the boy's killing, then stuffing his body in her car trunk.

Orono police pulled her over May 20 in Mound after seeing her vehicle missing a front tire and traveling on the rim. Officers noted the back window was broken out and saw blood on her hand as well as a shotgun shell and spent casing in the car, according to charges.

She was allowed to leave before police, who planned to have the vehicle towed, searched the vehicle at the scene and found the body and gun in the trunk. Charges say Thaler had already left her Spring Park apartment by the time police arrived and officers found a washing machine running with her clothes inside.

She was soon arrested with what police say appeared to be blood in her hair. She remains jailed in lieu of $2 million bail.

Thaler's family warned officials about her mental health in the midst of a bitter child custody battle with the boy's father, Tory Hart, of Chetek, Wis., who is suing Dakota County for ignoring the warning signs that he says led to his son's death.

About a week before the slaying, the father filed a petition seeking custody. Thaler's own father previously testified against his daughter in court, saying she was unfit to be a parent.

Family members say Thaler was manipulative and filed false allegations against Hart, who emailed county social workers in March to say he was concerned his son was being "mentally and emotionally abused."

Medical records reviewed by the Star Tribune show Thaler was in and out of mental institutions as a teenager. She was treated for drug and alcohol abuse and diagnosed with depression, mood disorder and borderline personality.

Thaler lost custody of Eli for most of 2021 after social services received a report in January of her "presenting with psychosis and hearing voices telling her to kill herself," records say.

It was the second time Thaler lost custody. In October 2020, court records show Eli was temporarily placed in foster care after social workers visited Thaler's home and reported it was filthy and the boy was naked with nothing to wear in the house but pajamas.

A judge allowed Thaler to take him home on a trial basis in December 2021. She received full custody May 2022, just 10 days before the boy's death.

Staff writer Jeffrey Meitrodt contributed to this report.