A 6-year-old boy was found dead in the trunk of his mother’s car in Minnesota, less than two weeks after she was awarded full custody of the child.
Julissa Thaler, 28, was arrested over the weekend and is currently in the Hennepin County Jail on suspected murder, according to KSTP. She has not yet been formally charged.
Thaler had recently won a protracted custody battle for the boy, authorities said, even after the local Board of Child Protection Services raised concerns about her mental health and criminal record – including previous clashes with law enforcement over suspected drug theft.
Family members said the boy’s father, Tory Hart, tried to win custody shortly before Eli’s death. Eli was brought back to his mother in December after almost a year in foster care – after he was initially taken away from her for not taking proper care of him.
Eli’s former foster mother Nikita Kronberg blasted Dakota County’s CPS in an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune — saying social workers “have failed this kid in a big way.”
Hart tried to get custody of his son while he was in foster care, citing the “many red flags” Thaler was showing, according to a GoFundMe page set up after Eli’s tragic death.
It was also claimed that Eli’s demeanor had changed after his mother regained custody. Family members said he misbehaved at school and showed signs of anxiety.
Although multiple parties made statements to child protection services in Dakota County, Minnesota regarding Thaler’s alleged abuse, she was nonetheless awarded custody of their son on May 10, 2022.
Julissa Thaler pictured on her Facebook page. She is being held in custody in Hennepin County, Minnesota, where she is expected to face murder charges
Thaler was arrested after police found the body of her son Eli Hart in the trunk of their bloodied car in suburban Minneapolis, authorities and family members said.
Orono Police said the woman and a man were arrested on suspicion of murder after the boy’s body was found Friday after a car with a smashed rear window drove on a wheel rim.
When officers stopped the car in Mound, Minnesota, they noticed blood inside the vehicle.
Investigators later found further evidence of foul play at a nearby gas station where the car had stopped.
Tory Hart made several attempts to warn CPS officers about his son’s troubling behavior while in his mother’s care
The boy has been dubbed Eli Hart by family members and friends of Hart’s father, Tory Hart, who set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for his funeral.
According to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Prison List, Hart’s mother, Julissa Thaler, 28, is in custody and facing murder charges.
Thaler was arrested by the Orono Police Department shortly after 2:30 a.m. on May 21 and was treated in prison. The 27-year-old man who was in the car with her has not been charged at the time of writing.
Tory’s fiancee Josie Josephson told Fox9 that Thaler has suffered from mental health issues and drug addiction in the past.
Tory Hart planned to take his son to Chetek, Wisconsin, where he runs a bait shop
On her Facebook page, Thaler identifies herself as: “Aquarius. Mummy. Advocate. Feminist.’
Most visible posts on Tory Hart’s Facebook page show him smiling with his son.
According to the GoFundMe page, Tory Hart was previously unable to have custody of his son due to “several false protection orders filed by Eli’s mother”.
In January 2021, Eli moved in with a relative named Nikita Kronberg. During this time, Kronberg says, the boy developed a bond with his father. Tory taught his son to ride a bike and taught him to fish.
On her Facebook page, Thaler identifies herself as: “Aquarius. Mummy. Advocate. Feminist’
According to Tory Hart’s fiancé, while in his mother’s care, Eli kicked a child in the throat and developed a stutter
Eli returned to his mother in December 2021. Tory tried to get custody of his son during this time as Thaler was showing “a lot of red flags”.
This led to more false protection orders being filed, according to the GoFundMe page.
Although multiple parties provided statements to child protection services regarding Thaler’s alleged abuse, she was awarded custody of their son on May 10, 2022.
CPS officials had concerns about Thaler’s mental health, living conditions and criminal record, but still awarded her full custody, reports CBS Minnesota.
Tory Hart with his fiancee Josie Josephson. Josephson said that little Eli loved playing with his Matchbox cars and wanted to be a firefighter
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe page has raised more than $33,000. The site’s original goal was $20,000
Mound Mayor Ray Salazar said a vigil for Eli will be held in the city this week
Officials were concerned about Thaler’s “numerous traffic violations,” which included speeding, careless driving and using a wireless communication device while driving, according to documents. In total, Thaler had seven violations between March 2021 and now, according to CBS Minnesota Adam Duxter.
Thaler also scheduled a June 22 hearing at her workplace “regarding drug theft.”
Another section of the documents said officers were “very concerned about Ms. Thaler’s mental health and how it is affecting the mental health and well-being of her 6-year-old and how it is endangering Eli’s relationship with his father, who appears to be doing so.” be a stabilizing force in Eli’s life.’
Tory planned to take his son to Chetek, Wisconsin, where he owns and operates a bait shop.
Nikita Kronberg, who nurtured Eli for 11 months, said social workers failed the child “big”.
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe page has raised more than $33,000. The site’s original goal was $20,000.
Mound Mayor Ray Salazar said a vigil for Eli would be held in the city this week.
Josie Josephson told the newspaper that the boy is a patient, happy kid who enjoys playing with Matchbox cars and wants to be a firefighter.
He suffered from a rare genetic disorder called Townes-Brock Syndrome, which caused kidney disease and hearing problems that required hearing aids.
Tory Hart’s fiancee said of the bond Tory and Eli shared: “They loved each other very much. Tory’s days and weeks revolved around when he would next see his son and when the next sleepover would be… He was missing a piece of himself as to when [his son] was not there
Josephson said Eli was “loved by everyone who met him.” She added, “He just had more medical needs than the average kid.”
Josephson told the Star Tribune that Tory lost touch with his son around the time the child was born, but they began dating in 2019.
She said: “They loved each other very much. Tory’s days and weeks revolved around when he would next see his son and when the next sleepover would be… He was missing a piece of himself as to when [his son] was not there.’
When Eli was in his mother’s care, he began acting at school, according to the Star Tribune.
Eli was a student at Shirley Hills Primary School in Mound, Minnesota. The school’s superintendent said in a statement that it is “difficult to process a tragedy of this magnitude”.
In one incident he pushed a child off a slide, in another he kicked a child in the neck.
Meanwhile, at home, Eli began chewing on his shirt, had trouble sleeping, talked like a baby, and started stuttering.
It was then that Tory contacted Dakota County social workers to express concerns that his son was being “mentally and emotionally abused.” Tory said Eli didn’t have these issues before he moved in with Thaler.
Eli was a student at Shirley Hills Primary School in Mound, Minnesota. In a statement, Westonka Public Schools Superintendent Kevin Borg said: “It is appalling and difficult to process a tragedy of this magnitude, especially in our close-knit community. My thoughts and prayers go out to all who are mourning this profound loss.’