Woman charged with murder after 6-year-old son found dead in Mound makes 1st court appearance
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The woman charged with second-degree intentional murder after her 6-year-old son was found dead in the trunk of her vehicle in Mound last week made her first court appearance Tuesday.
Bail for Julissa Angelica Genrich Thaler, 28, has been set at $2 million.
She made a virtual court appearance at 1:30 p.m., during which bail and upcoming court dates were mentioned.
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Mound police stopped Thaler’s vehicle Friday morning after she was spotted driving it with one of the front tires missing, and was riding straight on the rim. A criminal complaint states officers saw blood on Thaler, noticed a shotgun shell and spent casing in the vehicle and saw a bullet hole in the back seat, as well as a broken-out back window.
Mugshot for Julissa Thaler (Credit: Hennepin Co. Jail)
However, officers released Thaler from the scene and then searched the vehicle. That’s when they found the 6-year-old boy’s body in the trunk, along with a shotgun.
Family members identified the boy as 6-year-old Eli Hart. Family members also told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that Thaler is Hart’s mother.
RELATED: Community memorializes boy found dead in car driven by his mother
Officers immediately went to Thaler’s apartment after finding Hart. She was arrested nearby.
A friend of Thaler’s told police that Thaler had wanted to learn how to use a gun over the past week, so they’d gone to the gun range. Police said that friend was initially detained but a Hennepin County Attorney’s Office spokesperson says there’s insufficient evidence to charge him.
If Thaler is convicted on the second-degree murder charge, she faces up to 40 years in prison.
Late Tuesday morning, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office released the autopsy report for Hart.
According to the medical Examiner, Hart died from multiple gunshot wounds, and his time of death was listed as 8:44 a.m. on Friday, May 20 at Bartlett Boulevard and Shoreline Drive.
A GoFundMe has been started for Hart’s family.
Stay with 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS and KSTP.com for updates.