The Misery Machine - The Story of Julissa Thaler + Eli Hart

Starting point is 00:00:00 Eli Hart was born on December 15th, 2015 to parents Tori Hart and Julissa Angelica Gennrich Thaler. He was described as a bright light in his community with a giant toothless smile and a mop of sandy blonde hair. This little boy was always full of giggles, and his favorite colors were green and gold. He loved to blow bubbles, and he dreamt of being a firefighter when he grew up. Early on in his life, Eli's parents split up and a fierce custody battle ensued. It's been alleged that Eli's mother filed several false protection orders against Eli's father. Eli also suffered from a condition known as Towns-Brock syndrome, which is a genetic disorder that affects several parts of the body. In Eli's case, he suffered from kidney issues.

Starting point is 00:00:51 He also used hearing aids to assist him with hearing loss caused by his condition. ongoing concerns about Julissa's mental health resulted in the little boy being placed in foster care in January of 2021. Julissa had been presenting with psychosis, and she heard voices that told her to take her own life. Eli would go on to live in foster care for the next 11 months. He was placed in the Randolph, Minnesota home of Stephen and Nikita Kronberg. Now, Stephen was Julissa's cousin, but the couple served more as aunt and uncle figures, young Eli. Nikita had nothing but wonderful things to say about the little boy. She described him as an amazing kid that was full of energy and was always smiling,

Starting point is 00:01:39 the type of kid who wanted to befriend everyone. During this time, Nikita allowed Eli to work on building a relationship with his father, Tori, and his fiancé, Josephine Josephson. From the very beginning, Eli had a magnetic, bond with his father. Tori was excited to make up for all of the lost years with Eli. He was thrilled to start teaching his son how to ride a bike without training wheels. According to Josephine, quote, they loved each other immensely. Tori's days and weeks revolved around when he would get to see his son next and when the next sleepover would be. He was missing a piece of himself

Starting point is 00:02:19 when his son was not around, end quote. The pair enjoyed playing with matchbox cars, building things, creating art, reading books, and watching movies, and exploring the outdoors. Tori owned a bait shop in Chitech, Wisconsin, and was a lifelong angler. He was also very excited to share this pastime with his son. Eli picked up on fishing quickly and had such a talent for it that he caught more fish than his father did on his first day with a pole. Like many boys his age, Eli loved going to the playground and playing in the playground and playing in the play. park. The little boy loved to swing as high as he could, trying to touch his toes to the treetops. He loved to swing on the monkey bars and he was quick to make new friends. With the help of the

Starting point is 00:03:03 Kronberg family, Tori was able to walk Eli to school on his very first day of kindergarten at Shirley Hill's primary school and got to take him trick-or-treating in the fall. Eli had some challenges for sure, but he certainly made the best of it with the help of his father in the Kronberg family. However, Eli was returned to Julissa for a home trial at the end of December of 2021. Tori fought hard to get custody of his son, but unfortunately, Julissa was up to roll tricks again. More false protection orders were filed, which postponed custody hearings. According to Eli's foster mother Nikita, quote, I feared if she got custody back, that she would harm Eli, if not worse.

Starting point is 00:03:50 I instantly responded with, you know, this is a dangerous situation for Eli. I fear for his safety if he's returned to her. There's numerous things I had brought up that were concerning that I had noticed, end quote. Prior to losing custody of Eli, Julissa had quite the rocky pass that stemmed as far back as her teenage years. The mother was in and out of mental institutions from the ages of 13 to 18. She was repeatedly treated for drug and alcohol use and ran away from home her senior year of high school, living on the streets for 45 days.

Starting point is 00:04:28 Police had responded to Jalissa's home 21 times in 10 months for various offenses. She had been arrested for stealing drugs from a health clinic. Additionally, she had to find a new drug testing facility because she was exhibiting bizarre behavior. and the workers didn't want anything to do with her. However, this January 2021 incident was not the first time that Julissa had lost custody of Eli. In October of 2020, authorities temporarily placed Eli in foster care after social workers visited Julissa's home and found her son unclothed with nothing to wear in the house but pajamas.

Starting point is 00:05:12 The house was completely filthy. The upstairs bathroom was flooded, and someone had broken eggs and smeared them throughout the main level of the home. Eli remained in foster care through December 2021, when a judge let Julissa take him home on a trial basis. Court-appointed guardian and county social worker Sherry Larson also expressed concern for Eli's well-being due to Julissa's mental health issues. She noted that Julissa was trying to limit contact between the boy and his father, even though Tori appeared to be a stabilizing force in Eli's life. However, there were differences of opinion within CPS despite major red flags. County social worker Beth Denner recommended that Julissa be awarded full custody of her son despite her misgivings. Interestingly, it was Denner that reported that Julissa failed to attend weekly therapy sessions for me.

Starting point is 00:06:13 months and claimed that the mother lacked insight into her own mental health and behavior. She also failed to complete a parenting education program for missing too many classes. Denner also reported that she had been neglecting Eli's medical needs and would not sign releases allowing CPS access to his medical records. Denner claimed that Julissa failed to make sure her son's hearing aids were in working order and that she often brought him to school late. The mother repeatedly had unstable housing, including being forced to move for violating multiple leases.

Starting point is 00:06:54 Despite this, Beth Denner concluded that there was no indication that Eli was physically unsafe in his mother's care. Despite clear evidence of neglect, in numerous parties making statements to CPS fearing that Julissa would harm Eli, Dakota County District Judge Tim Wormiger still awarded the mother full custody of her son on May 10th, 2022. Officers with the Orno Police Department conducted a routine traffic stop of a silver Chevy Impala that was traveling near Shoreline Drive in Bartlett Boulevard. The reason? Police received a call that the motorist was driving without one of their front tires and was riding on the rim.

Starting point is 00:07:38 Now driving without a tire generally ends in a mess of sparks flying about. So obviously this was a little suspicious and at the very least unsafe. Upon stopping the car, officers identified the driver as Julissa Thaler. However, the missing tire wasn't the only cause for concern. The officers observed that the back window of the vehicle had been broken out and shotgun shells and spent casings littered the interior. There was also what appeared to be a bullet hole in the back seat. Julissa's hands were bloody, and so was some of the upholstery of her car.

Starting point is 00:08:18 There were also bits of what looked like flesh all over her. She claimed that the blood was from changing a tampon, and the flesh was from a deer she had picked up from an unknown butcher overnight. She claimed that she had returned to meet her AA sponsor, in the city of Mound. Aside from these obvious red flags, Julissa looked incredibly disheveled. Her hair was a mess,

Starting point is 00:08:47 and she was dressed in ill-fitting floral pajamas with filthy cuffs. Even though this was clearly suspicious, the officers allowed Julissa to leave the scene and shuttled her to her home located at 2400 Interlock and Road in Spring Park, about a 10-minute drive south along the northern shore of Lake Minnambay.

Starting point is 00:09:07 Atonka. This would soon prove to be a terrible decision by the police. Based on its condition, the officers felt as if there was probable cause for a search. In addition, as the vehicle could not be operated safely, it needed to be towed away. Prior to this tow, the officers conducted a cursory search of the car, which included taking a peek at the contents of the trunk. What they found next, would make them all wish that they had never allowed Julissa out of their sights. Inside of the trunk of the Impala was a gray blanket, a shotgun, and the badly damaged body of a six-year-old little boy. It was Julissa's son, Eli Hart, who had just been returned to her custody 10 days prior.

Starting point is 00:10:03 Upon the discovery of the child's remains, officers immediately, rushed to Julissa's apartment. But by the time they had arrived, she had already left her home and her washing machine was running. Officers searched the washer and discovered the clothing that Julissa had been wearing during her traffic stop. She was trying to destroy evidence. Surveillance video showed Julissa fleeing her apartment on foot with her boyfriend and a large backpack. The two were soon located on the 4,200 block of Shoreline Drive in Spring Park. Both were placed under arrest. As the officers cuffed Julissa, they noted what appeared to be blood and brain matter all throughout her hair.

Starting point is 00:10:47 DNA tests would later prove that it belonged to Eli. When questioned by the police about what had happened, Julissa seemed utterly fixated on Eli's father, Tori Hart. After some discussion about the traffic stop and discovering Eli in the trunk of her car, Julissa said that she was done covering for her ex. She made cryptic statements to officers such as, Do you need my ex's name? Later, Julissa said,

Starting point is 00:11:16 there's stuff that I didn't tell you about my ex. She also claimed to have been attacked earlier in the day. Her interview lasted just under an hour and was started and stopped twice as Julissa was would agree to talk, then request a lawyer, and then she would begin to talk again completely unprompted. But ultimately, she decided to lawyer up. Soon, the officers received tips related to the whereabouts of Julissa's Chevy and Paula on the day of her traffic stop. Just before her encounter with police, a concerned citizen witnessed the vehicle at a gas station parked by the dumpsters. Officers subsequently searched the dumpsters and located a backpack containing worksheets

Starting point is 00:11:59 and kindergarten assignments with Eli written in the top right-hand corner, along with blood, bone, and what appeared to be more brain matter. A more in-depth search of the impounded vehicle yielded copious amounts of blood and additional brain matter located on the back seats. Officers were able to follow damage done to the roads by the vehicle's rim, as well as information from citizens to track movements of Jalissa's car. They found multiple locations where blood and blood. brain matter were discarded, along with clothes and a bloody children's booster seat in another

Starting point is 00:12:36 dumpster. The seat of the car had sustained damage that was consistent with that of a shotgun blast. Julissa's boyfriend, Robert Pickeran, told the officers that over the past week, his girlfriend wanted to learn how to use a gun, so the couple paid a visit to a gun range. Not so coincidentally, Julissa bought a shotgun on March 17th and learned how to use it shortly after Eli's father, Tori Hart, filed papers asking the court for full custody. Robert told the officers that Julissa had been carrying the shotgun in and out of the apartment and that when she did, it would be wrapped in a gray blanket, the same gray blanket that was found in the trunk of her Impala. Robert outlined for the officers the events that led up to

Starting point is 00:13:22 Eli's death. He told them that the previous day, they had spent the day shopping with Eli and then returned home for pizza and a movie. They kept the night off by playing with their kittens. This otherwise normal and enjoyable day took an abrupt turn when Eli refused to go to bed. Soon, the mother and son began fighting and hitting each other. Julissa then left the apartment with a little boy taking the shotgun with her. Robert said that he fell asleep and asked where she had gone when he woke up the next morning. According to Robert, she was kind of like, I had to go do something. It should be noted that Robert was cleared of any wrongdoing and was not charged in connection

Starting point is 00:14:04 with Eli's death. He was released shortly after questioning and cooperated fully with police in their investigation. If this wasn't damning enough, Julissa's internet search history included how to load a shotgun, the most powerful knockout drug, qualifying accidental deaths, payment. from life insurance if a child dies. How to keep a child away from another parent with visitation. How to fake being home to the cops. How much blood a six-year-old can lose?

Starting point is 00:14:42 And that is just a sampling of some of her searches. We'll have some of the other searches on screen for you to view courtesy of KARE 11's Lou Regoose. When questions specifically with regard, to her search of how much blood a six-year-old can lose. Julissa claimed that it pertained to donating blood to the Red Cross. Now, according to the Red Cross, in order to donate blood, you have to be at least 17 years old in most states,

Starting point is 00:15:15 although some states do allow donations from 16-year-olds with parental consent. Additionally, you have to weigh at least 110 pounds. additional height and weight requirements apply for donors 18 years old and younger, and all high school student donors. There are many other requirements, but these ones best fit why Julissa's excuse was completely nonsensical and why young Eli could never have qualified to give blood. Preliminary autopsy findings reveal that Eli was shot multiple times with a shotgun at close range as he sat in his booster seat in the back of his mother's Impala.

Starting point is 00:15:57 It was estimated that the little boy was shot up to nine times, including shots to his torso and his head. Phone records showed that Julissa shot her son in a secluded parking lot at Lake Minnetonka Regional Park. Then she drove around the region, abandoning his belongings. Let that sink in for a second. The average six-year-old boy is three and a half to four feet tall, weighs between 39 and 60 pounds. Eli looked to be somewhere in the middle. Now think for a moment of the impact that up to nine shotgun blasts at close range would have on someone of that size. It should be also noted that when purchasing ammunition for her shotgun, she allegedly asked the store clerk for shotgun shells that would blow the biggest hole. This is how much of a disgusting person,

Starting point is 00:16:51 Julissa Thalera is. A judge determined that Julissa was mentally competent to stand trial. She was offered a plea deal soon after, but rejected the offer to plead guilty to the charge of second-degree homicide, which carries a sentence of 40 years in prison. At trial, Julissa did not testify, and her defense called no witnesses. Her lawyer, Brian Leary, stated that she participated in Eli's death, but was not the one who shot him. He argued that there were no eyewitnesses, no photos, no videos connecting her to the killing. He went on to state, quote, She's not charged with the crime they have proved.

Starting point is 00:17:34 She destroyed evidence, lied to police, ran away, but they have not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the gun was in her hands when it was fired nine times into her son, end quote. Assistant Hennepin County attorney Dan Allard argued that overwhelming evidence, including cell phone data, linking her to all of the sites involved in the death, proved that Julissa killed her son either for life insurance money because of her mental health or due to the stress of a custody battle with the boy's father. He also noted that Eli's DNA was found in Julissa's hair and on her skin and clothes. According to Allard, quote, if she didn't shoot him, why didn't she tell police when pulled over, oh my God, someone shot my son, he's in the trunk, end quote. Jurors in Hennepin County District Court deliberated for less than two hours before finding 29-year-old Julissa Thaler guilty of first-degree homicide in the death of her son, Eli Hart. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty released a statement soon after the verdict was announced.

Starting point is 00:18:45 saying in part, quote, Eli's brutal murder is one of the most horrific cases I have ever encountered in 30 years working in the criminal legal system. Nothing will ever fill the emptiness Eli's father and other loved ones now live with every day. But I'm hopeful this verdict will make it just a bit easier to remember Eli as the toothless, happy, smiling little boy we have seen in photos, end quote. Julissa was sentenced Thursday, February 16th, 2023 to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of first-degree homicide.

Starting point is 00:19:24 Before the judge handed down her sentence, she had this riveting comment for the courtroom. Okay, go ahead. I'm innocent. You all, you're garbage. Ms. Salary, I don't know that that's appropriate here. Prior to her sentencing, Eli's dad, Tori Hart, his fiance Josephine Josephson both spoke at points wiping away tears from their eyes.

Starting point is 00:19:53 Your honor, everyone knows Eli Hart as the victim of this senseless and horrific crime, but Eli was so much more. Eli was an amazing six-year-old boy who always woke up full of energy and laughter. He was kind, made friends easily, loved reading books. Eli had a love for animals that was very special. Eli explored, played outside, fished with his dad. Eli was an innocent, loving six-year-old boy. He did not deserve this.

Starting point is 00:20:25 Eli deserved to grow up and have a safe and happy life. We know these things about Eli because he was our little boy, our son, the center of our world, the love and connection he had with his son, that he had with his only son, was something I was privileged to see. see the love and bond they shared every second they were together. They had this extra spark between them that everyone could see. Now we only have memories.

Starting point is 00:21:14 And they're not enough. Time was taken from us a lifetime of memories to be made gone. The moment, the moment I treasured as being a parent myself, Tori will never have those experiences. A lifetime without Eli robbed of us. School milestones that we will never get to see like graduating kindergarten in elementary school, all the artwork he would have brought home and put on the fridge, taken.

Starting point is 00:21:53 The first day of middle school and high school, prom, graduation, watch him play sports, teach him to drive, stolen from us. watching Eli grow and become a young man and what he could have been and done in this world. We will never have those memories. No more hugs, no more snuggles. They were ripped from us, straight from our souls.

Starting point is 00:22:22 On May 20th, 2022 at about 11.30 p.m., when an officer knocked on our door and asked to come in, then asking Tori to have a seat. The cries from my husband broke my heart in a million pieces. I've been listening to the officer. Tell me what happened. Broke it into a million more. Watching my husband sob as his brother tried to comfort him.

Starting point is 00:22:50 Watching the officer's hands shake while he tried to write down his number. And a small piece of paper was the moment I knew our lives had shifted forever. That nothing would ever be the same. the pain will never go away this will forever affect our day-to-day lives you can't explain the loss of your only son you can't explain what that does to you or anyone then

Starting point is 00:23:19 having lost him in such a horrific way you just can't explain how that changes your life how the pain is so deep you can't breathe how nothing in your life looks or feels the same and no one understands your lack of sleep at night the nightmares of how Eli was murdered the struggle to go to work every day

Starting point is 00:23:45 knowing Eli has no more days how painful it is that life just keeps moving and doesn't slow down for us to grieve no one should ever have to feel this kind of pain or experience this kind of trauma but we have been ascendance to a lifetime of this pain confusion grief

Starting point is 00:24:13 sorrow and trauma a lifetime without Eli the little boy who would laugh and giggle and squeal so hard when he and his dad would play at the park it's a sound I hope never fades from our memory the little boy who rescued a panfish that was stuck on shore when he was fishing with his dad the little boy who rescued the

Starting point is 00:24:47 Okay, just a second, I'm sorry. The little boy who rescued a baby panfish, who was stuck in the shore when he was fishing with his dad. He was so proud. He came running in to tell me all about it, but couldn't get his words out because he was so excited. He was so proud. The little boy who would tell me not to be scared of bees, that they were nice and we need them. The little boy that loved being on his dad's shoulder. The little boy who, when we asked him, who loves you the most, would always reply, you both do.

Starting point is 00:25:33 There are no more triple hugs, no more I love you, no more memories to be made, just emptiness. You were the happy six-year-old boy, our little boy, that we loved so deeply. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty released a second state. following Julius' sentencing, quote, we now have legal closure on this heartbreaking tragedy, but nothing will ever fill the void in the world that Eli left behind. I hope his family can slowly move forward and eventually find some level of peace, end quote. In the wake of the little boy's death,

Starting point is 00:26:17 Eli's father filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking more than $75,000 in damages. The lawsuit states that DCSS provided service, to Eli, with Tori Hart claiming the county and its employees were negligent. Dakota County and two of its employees, Sherry Larson and Beth Denner, were named in this lawsuit. Eli's former foster mother, Nikita Kronberg, started to GoFundMe in order to purchase a headstone and to cover the little boy's final expenses. As of the date of this recording, it has raised over $45,000 of its $25,000 goal. second GoFundMe was started by community members, including Eli's family, to build a permanent

Starting point is 00:27:03 memorial for Eli Hart in the city of Mound so he could be remembered, and to raise awareness for children in the foster care system. In addition, funds raised would also benefit a new playground located in Surfside Beach in honor of Eli. The project has currently been put on hold, and as of the date of this recording, has raised just over $32,000 of a $1,000 of a its $200,000 goal. If you'd like to know more about how you can help, we'll have all of the links below in the description. In addition, the Mound City Council unanimously passed a resolution to rename a portion of a bridge

Starting point is 00:27:40 to memorialize Eli. The city said that it would work with Hennepin County to rename a portion of shoreline drive that goes over Seton Channel to the Eli Hart Memorial Bridge. Although Eli's community has banded together to flood him and his family with love and his death, why couldn't this have been done when the little boy was still alive? Eli was thriving in foster care and had built a stable relationship with his father and his fiancee. Julissa's failure as a mother was documented and her misdeeds were well known to Dakota County Social Services and its employees. So we ask you, the listener, what should be done in cases where those who are

Starting point is 00:28:22 mandated to protect our most vulnerable, blatantly abandoned their post. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section down below.

The Misery Machine - The Story of Julissa Thaler + Eli Hart

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