Ohio Woman Convicted, Sentenced to Life for Toddler Murder

Bionca Ellis was convicted on multiple charges, including aggravated murder, for the June 3, 2024 unprovoked stabbing that killed 3-year-old Julian Wood and injured his mother in a Giant Eagle parking lot in North Olmsted, Ohio. A judge sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Security video and court testimony showed Ellis stole knives from a nearby thrift store, entered the grocery store, then followed the family and stabbed Julian in his shopping cart. Prosecutors said she carried out the attack out of anger and a desire to be arrested after a dispute with police; the defense pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, arguing longstanding mental illness and presenting experts who said she did not know right from wrong. The court rejected the insanity defense and imposed the maximum sentence. Local investigations noted prior mental‑health concerns and that Ellis had been released from jail on another case days before the killing despite recommendations for further evaluation, while the victim's parents delivered emotional statements about their son.