Camilla Jessen
A woman was found guilty of fatally stabbing a 3-year-old boy outside of a Cleveland supermarket.
A Cuyahoga County jury convicted Bionca Ellis of murdering 3‑year‑old Julian Wood and wounding his mother in a June 3, 2024, attack in a Giant Eagle parking lot in North Olmsted.
Ellis was found guilty on nine counts, including aggravated murder, felonious assault, child endangering and aggravated theft.
This was reported by local news outlet, Cleveland.
What prosecutors say happened
Prosecutors presented surveillance, witness testimony and body‑cam video showing 34-year-old Ellis stole two knives from a nearby thrift store, followed Julian and his mother through the supermarket, then stabbed the child multiple times while he sat in a shopping cart as his mother loaded groceries.
Witnesses say the attack took seconds.
First responders performed life‑saving measures but Julian later died at the hospital.
Margot Wood testified at trial about the attack.
Defense argued insanity
Ellis has a history of schizophrenia and her attorneys pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
Defense experts described long‑standing mental‑health struggles; prosecution experts countered that Ellis understood her actions when she attacked.
After roughly eight hours of deliberation, jurors rejected the insanity defense and returned guilty verdicts on all counts.
Family response
At the verdict, Julian’s mother told the court, “This was for him today,” expressing that the guilty verdict honored her son.
Ellis remains jailed on a multimillion‑dollar bond as she awaits sentencing, where she could face life behind bars.
This article is made and published by Camilla Jessen, which may have used AI in the preparation
