An Ohio woman will spend her life behind bars for the 2024 death of 3-year-old boy Julian Wood, and the attempted killing of his mother.
According to Court TV, a Cleveland jury found Bianca Ellis guilty on murder and attempted murder charges, for the of Julian and the attack on his mother, Margot Wood.
“I just want to say I apologize for what I did,” Ellis said before sentencing.
While carrying a kitchen knife, Ellis ran toward Julian and his mother at the Giant Eagle grocery store parking lot in Olmstead, on June 3, 2024.
Ellis attacked Julian, who was sitting in a shopping cart, as Margot loaded groceries into her vehicle. Julian subsequently passed away at St. John Medical Center, as CrimeOnline previously reported.
Police said Julian had a sliced cheek, severed tongued, and a wound to his lung after Ellis stabbed him in the back.
Margot, who survived a knife, later testified that they did not know Ellis, who had stolen knives from a nearby Volunteers of America before the attack.
North Olmsted Police Captain Eric Morgan said officers found Ellis the day of the attack, still carrying the kitchen knife she used.
During the trial, the defense largely relied on Ellis’ mental health, arguing that she struggled with issues for years.
Dr. Megan Testa, a forensic psychiatrist, testified that Ellis only became competent to stand trial when she began taking medication.
Records, according to FOX 8, showed that Ellis had a history of dealing with a number of mental health issues, including schizophrenia and delusions. She also had issues with taking her medication.
While in jail, Ellis reportedly refused to take her medicine, claiming she didn’t need it. A jail psychiatrist then found her sitting naked in her cell while she talked about dinosaurs.
The prosecution, however, argued that the crime had been premeditated since Ellis followed the victims “in tandem” out of the store.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John Russo acknowledged Ellis’ mental health issues, but reiterated that it did not excuse murder.
He handed down a life sentence without parole for murder, along with additional sentences for attempted murder, to run concurrently.
“You have not only hurt me, you have taken my youngest son, you have caused trauma to my other children,” Margot Wood said during her victim impact statement.
“I hate you with every fiber of my being.”
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[Feature Photo: Julian Wood/GoFundMe]
