Eli Hart’s mother found competent to stand trial in his murder
[anvplayer video=”5137701″ station=”998122″]
A woman charged with killing her 6-year-old son in May has been found competent to stand trial.
Tuesday, 28-year-old Julissa Angelica Genrich Thaler, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Eli Hart, learned that she’d stand trial.
Thaler did not address the court during Tuesday’s hearing.
“As this case moves forward, Ms. Thaler is hopeful that she’ll be released from jail to prepare her defense and grieve her loss,” public defender Bryan Leary said. “In jail, in a cage, her grief has no place to go.”
Mugshot for Julissa Thaler (Credit: Hennepin Co. Jail)
It came three weeks after Judge Lisa Janzen delayed the case because Thaler wasn’t participating in the competency examination that had been ordered.
With Tuesday’s determination, Thaler’s court case can now proceed.
“It would be nice to get things finally going, hopefully, and get some justice for Eli,” said Josie Josephson, Hart’s father’s fiancé, “One way or another there will be a day that will come where justice is served.”
A group of community members are working to create brighter days for Eli’s loved ones and the residents of Mound. Their goal is to transform the surfside park’s playground into the Eli Hart memorial playground. A GoFundMe has been established to help raise money for the effort.
“We could have never imagined something like this,” Tiffany Beitler, one of the fundraising organizers for the playground, said. “So when it does happen, we’ve all kind of come together to do something good.”
Thaler was stopped on May 20 and found covered with blood. Hart was later found in her vehicle’s trunk.
Her next hearing has been set for Oct. 7.