Mom fatally shot her 6-year-old son and was now facing lifelong sentences

A 29-year-old Orono woman faces life in prison after being convicted of fatally shooting her 6-year-old son and hiding his body in the trunk of a car.

Julissa Angelica Genrich Thaler was now convicted with first degree premeditated, second degree with intent - not premeditated murder. 

According to the charged filed by the Hennepin County Attorney’s office, Thaler shot her son with a shotgun up to nine times and then hid his body in the trunk of her car.

Orono Police saw a Chevrolet Impala driving without one of the front tires and riding straight on the rim on May 20, 2022.

After stopping the car and encountering Thaler, who was the driver, they found that the car’s back window had broken out, and there appeared to be blood on her hand and in the car.

Police also saw a shotgun shell, a spent casing in the car and a bullet hole in the back seat. Based on the vehicle's state, it was determined that it could not be operated safely, and there was probable cause to search the vehicle.

Police searched the car before towing, including the trunk, and found a shotgun and the body of a juvenile who had been shot, who was later found to be Thaler’s son.

Police immediately went to Thaler’s apartment and found she had left. The washing machine in her apartment was running, and the clothes she’d been wearing at the time of the traffic stop were being washed in the machine.

They then found the suspect leaving the area on foot and placed her under arrest. When Thaler was arrested, her hair still had blood and brain matter.

A citizen reported that they saw the suspect's vehicle at a gas station not long before and stopped near the dumpsters.

Police searched the dumpster and found a backpack, blood, bone and brain matter.

They were then able to follow damage done to the roads by the vehicle’s rim and the information provided by citizens to track the car.

Police found multiple locations discarded with blood and brain matter and a bloody child booster seat in one dumpster with a shotgun blast on it.

A friend of Thaler told police that over the past week, they’ve gone to the gun range because Thaler wanted to learn how to use a gun, according to the criminal complaint.

The friend also told police that Thaler had been carrying a shotgun in and out of the apartment and would wrap the gun in a gray blanket.

According to the preliminary autopsy findings, the victim was shot up to nine times, including shots to the torso and head.

"Gun violence once again took center stage at the courthouse today,” said Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in a press release.

Moriarty said this case is one of the most horrific cases she has encountered in 30 years of working in the criminal legal system.

“We will continue to prioritize the prosecution of violent crime. But prosecuting gun violence after it occurs will never be enough. We can't simply wait for more victims to do something. I am committed to doing my part, working with others in the community and at all levels to help get guns off the street and protect those not yet harmed." Said Moriarty.

Hennepin County Judge Jay Quam sentenced Julissa Angelica Genrich Thaler to life in prison without the possibility of release for the murder.

Moriarty released another statement after the decision saying, "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."