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We. Never have. Don't. Memory is

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no more harm. no much

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know they will read. Or.

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Know is a city located in

2:50

Hennepin County, Minnesota in the United

2:52

States. It's on

2:54

the north shore of Lake Minnetonka and

2:57

is a suburban community known for it's

2:59

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3:01

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Dude, it's close proximity to the nearby

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Minneapolis. Education holds paramount

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importance in Aura know what? the

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esteemed or no public school district.

3:13

For. Known for it's academic excellence

3:15

and strong community backing. The.

3:18

District comprises Aura Know High School.

3:21

Or. No middle school and to elementary

3:23

schools. Fostering. A culture of

3:25

learning and grow. Beyond.

3:27

Academics or a New offers

3:29

abundant recreational opportunities. From.

3:31

Boating and fishing on Lake

3:33

Minnetonka. To. Hiking and picnicking and

3:36

it's numerous parks and trails. He

3:39

was a client morning for police officers in

3:41

or know on the twentieth of May. Two

3:43

thousand and twenty two. Some.

3:46

Right on patrol when and I'm among

3:48

Call came into the dispatch center at

3:51

around seven a m. it

3:54

was from a woman who reported seeing

3:56

a chevrolet impala weaving through traffic with

3:58

the shuttered rear window and a flat

4:00

tire. She wondered

4:02

if possibly it was a drunk driver

4:04

and feared for the safety of other

4:06

drivers and people. The

4:09

dispatcher wasted no time in relating this

4:11

information to the nearest patrol units.

4:15

Within minutes, Officer Trent Wibush and his

4:17

colleague took off in the direction of

4:19

where the car was reported to be

4:21

driving. It

4:23

wasn't long until they spotted

4:26

a Chevrolet Impala driving along

4:28

Barlett Avenue. The front tire was

4:30

missing and the car was riding on the

4:32

rim as the rhythmic thud

4:34

of metal against the pavement sounded

4:36

out. The

4:39

officers turned on their sirens and

4:41

the car pulled over to the side of the

4:43

road. As

4:46

they drew closer, they could see

4:48

that the back window of the vehicle had

4:50

been smashed and a tire was missing, much

4:52

like the caller had said. The

4:55

two officers anticipated a drunken driver

4:57

to emerge, but when a

4:59

woman emerged from the driver's side and

5:02

she was sober, they seemed

5:04

perplexed. But her

5:06

demeanor was quite strange to the officers.

5:10

She was disheveled and unkempt and

5:12

appeared to be nervous and fidgety. The

5:15

two officers took her behind the vehicle and as

5:18

one of them questioned her, the other

5:20

glanced into the vehicle. They

5:23

could see a bullet hole in the back seat,

5:25

as well as a live shotgun shell

5:27

and a spent casing. As

5:31

they spoke with the woman, they then

5:33

noticed that there was some blood on her

5:35

hands. Eli

5:51

Hart came into the world on the 15th

5:53

of December 2015 to parents Jilla Cecile and

5:56

Tori Hart. We're

6:00

both nineteen years old at the time they

6:02

met. Their relationship

6:04

swiftly evolved. Leading. Them to

6:06

move in together within months and saying

6:09

they welcome their son a lie into

6:11

their lives. However,

6:14

He likes the Us to challenges from the start.

6:16

Being. Born. With times Brock Syndrome.

6:19

A rare genetic disorder causing

6:21

various developmental issues. This

6:24

condition lead to kidney disease and

6:26

hearing difficulties. Necessitating. The

6:28

use of hearing aids, That.

6:31

Despite these obstacles he live or

6:33

mean Brazilian. He

6:36

even managed to enjoy typical childhood

6:38

activities. Such. As running and playing

6:40

despite some physical challenges like overlapping

6:42

toes on his slot see. Yet.

6:46

Amidst these trials a lion pointer to

6:48

another struggle in his life. His

6:51

mother to Melissa. She.

6:53

Battled with longstanding substance abuse

6:56

problems. Which. Persisted even after

6:58

a lies for. Some.

7:01

People who knew her belief that she may have been

7:03

using. Drugs during her pregnancy. Jealous

7:07

his life had been marked by adversity,

7:09

Long. Before he like him in the world.

7:13

Struggles. With mental health including

7:15

depression. Mood Disorder, the

7:17

borderline personality disorder that plays

7:19

her since her adolescence. Or

7:23

bottles extended to substance abuse, leading

7:25

to multiple hospitalizations and periods of

7:27

homelessness including a stint on the

7:29

street for forty five days during

7:31

her final year of high school.

7:34

Despite. Years of medication to listed

7:36

chose to discontinue treatment. The for a

7:39

I was born. Those.

7:41

Who knew Julissa held out hope

7:43

that motherhood would inspire positive. Change.

7:46

Believing. A vice Presidents my prompter

7:48

to confront her addiction and seek

7:51

professional support. I

7:53

have. Or this optimism proved. On find it.

7:55

A. Still us to continue to grapple with her

7:57

demons. Despite the responsibility.

8:00

Of motherhood. Jealous.

8:02

His mental health struggles and Scully

8:04

at it. but instead of turning

8:06

inward, they took a harmful turn

8:08

towards Tory. She. Began

8:11

saab or kidding Accusations is abuse.

8:13

Once. Even involving the police by

8:16

alleging physical harm during an argument.

8:19

To list went as far as claiming that

8:21

Tory threatened her life if she ever last

8:23

him. Only to retract the

8:25

complaint days later. Admitting. That

8:28

it was fabricated to tear untreated

8:30

mental health issues. Despite.

8:34

This Tillis repeated her false accusations

8:36

the following: Year. As

8:38

time alleging the Tory had threatened her with

8:40

a shotgun. I

8:43

ever given her history and a lack of

8:45

evidence. Please. Choose not to

8:47

pursue charges, Fearing.

8:50

Further damage. Story decided to end

8:52

their relationship. And. He laughs Their

8:54

shared home. Door.

8:57

He wanted to get sole custody of his son.

8:59

A lie. That his efforts were

9:01

supported because of the false orders of

9:03

protection for the been filed by job

9:05

listening. She frequently

9:07

saw it restraining order against Tory accusing

9:09

him of making threats to physically harm

9:12

her and a lie. It's.

9:14

Are always on funded. The Julissa had

9:16

find a way to manipulate the system

9:19

in her favor. In

9:21

Minnesota, unlike some other states on

9:24

wed, father's have no custodial right

9:26

unless the courts award them. The

9:30

system truly fever his mother's over and

9:32

over again. Even. When concerns

9:34

are raised, As

9:37

Tillis his own father said. I

9:39

guarantee one hundred percent the Tory is

9:42

incapable of anything Julissa has accused him

9:44

of. It wasn't even in

9:46

the see it when some of this stuff

9:48

supposedly happened. He. Has received showing

9:50

he was in Wisconsin almost three hours

9:53

away. The.

9:55

Beast or Seeds did very little sway the

9:57

poor. So. Jealous of was

10:00

granted who custody. Of A My. After.

10:09

The family dissolved to listen. Tory

10:12

didn't cross paths again until two

10:14

thousand and nineteen, when she unexpectedly

10:16

appeared at his sister's wedding. A

10:20

few months later Julissa choose Tory of planting

10:22

a nail bomb in her car. Prompting.

10:25

Police involvement. Despite.

10:28

No evidence of such an act, a

10:30

judge still ordered Tory to stay away

10:32

from Julissa for two years. Even.

10:34

Though he resided in Wisconsin at the

10:36

time, Then. In October

10:38

of two thousand and twenty. Police.

10:40

Responded to a lesser and he lies

10:43

residents after eve I balked his mother.

10:45

I. Upon

10:47

entering the home Police are solved by

10:49

the squalid conditions. The

10:52

previous musty odor assaulted their

10:54

senses. While. Piles of brothers and

10:57

dirty dishes, cluttered, nearly. Every. Room.

11:00

The. Upper floor bathroom was flooded. And

11:03

eggs had been smashed and spread throughout

11:05

the entire home. The.

11:07

Officers observe troubling signs, Eli.

11:10

Locked Closing. Or. An open

11:13

wound on his elbow and he was also

11:15

find with orders essential. Hearing Aids.

11:18

Child. Protective Services intervened.

11:21

Temporarily. Removing a life Angeles's

11:23

care and placing him into foster

11:25

care. During. Her scheduled

11:27

visits with a my. Social. Workers

11:29

observed to list is alarming behavior.

11:33

She. Displayed consistent anger towards.

11:35

Her son. Often blaming him

11:37

for their separation and the intervention

11:40

of police. Services.

11:42

Accusations against a lie for locking her

11:44

own and spreading eggs in the heist

11:47

were particularly. Disturbing. She.

11:50

Told the four year old. Not. Made

11:52

them com. And get you. Instilling.

11:54

Guilt and fear into him. He.

11:57

lies demeanor during these encounters is

11:59

equally out disturbing. He

12:02

appeared frightened of his mother, seeking

12:04

refuge behind furniture and refusing to

12:06

engage with her. After

12:08

Jelissa left, social workers sometimes found

12:11

that Eli had wet himself, indicating

12:13

distress and anxiety in his

12:16

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Jelissa eventually got custody back

14:25

and Eli returned to her care. But

14:28

another concerning report surfaced in January of

14:30

2021. Child Protective Services received

14:36

a call indicating that Jelissa

14:38

was experiencing psychosis and

14:40

hearing voices urging her to harm herself.

14:44

It had also been discovered that she had

14:46

been showing Eli disturbing videos of cop feces

14:48

and new women. She

14:51

had been experiencing a level of paranoia and

14:54

had set up a noise machine in her

14:56

apartment because she feared that her

14:58

neighbors were spying on her. As

15:00

a result, Eli was once more removed from

15:02

Jelissa's care and placed into foster

15:05

care under the guardianship of

15:07

a woman named Nikita Kromberg. During

15:10

this period, Eli had the opportunity to spend

15:12

quality time with his father. He seized

15:15

the chance to teach him valuable skills such

15:18

as riding a bike and enjoying

15:20

weekend fishing trips together. Despite

15:23

the challenges that he faced, Eli

15:25

remained a cheerful and content child.

15:28

He loved playing with matchbox cars and

15:31

harbored dreams of becoming a firefighter one day.

15:34

Eli eagerly embraced fishing with his father,

15:37

displaying a natural talent for the activity

15:39

from the outset. Despite

15:41

his father's extensive experience and ownership of

15:44

a bait shop, Eli outperformed

15:46

him in fishing that day and

15:48

caught more fish. Tory

15:51

reminisced. and

16:00

it moved on with a woman named

16:02

Josie Josephson, who embraced Eli as part

16:04

of their family. Torrey

16:06

cherished the opportunity to establish stability and

16:09

a genuine connection with his son, eagerly

16:12

anticipating their time together. Under

16:15

Torrey's care, Eli enjoyed new freedoms,

16:18

including sleepovers at his father's

16:20

house, a privilege denied during

16:22

Jelissa's custody. He

16:25

established traditions such as Tuesday

16:27

nights at Caboone's restaurant, where

16:29

Eli always ordered his favourite dish,

16:32

a massive bowl of meatballs. Josie

16:36

said of Torrey, he was

16:38

missing a piece of himself when his son

16:40

wasn't around. During

16:50

the custody battle, Child Protective

16:52

Services raised significant concerns about

16:54

Jelissa's suitability as a mother.

16:57

These worries stemmed from her troubled mental health

17:00

history and her involvement in

17:02

criminal activities. In

17:04

June of 2022, Jelissa faced a

17:07

workplace hearing due to allegations of

17:09

stealing drugs from a health clinic. This

17:12

added to a list of transgressions that

17:15

included multiple traffic violations such as

17:17

speeding, rak was driving, and using

17:20

a cell phone while driving. Jelissa's

17:23

ongoing substance abuse problems further

17:26

exacerbated the situation, and

17:28

she tested positive for methadone

17:30

and OxyContin. Her

17:32

living situation was also unstable, marked

17:35

by eviction from two homes due to

17:37

disruptive behaviour that prompted police intervention

17:39

21 times in a mere 10

17:42

months. She

17:44

was once kicked out after keeping ducks in

17:46

the living room. Jelissa

17:48

attempted to address her addiction at a

17:50

drug testing facility but was

17:53

ultimately expelled due to what

17:55

staff described as bizarre behaviour. Amidst

17:58

these concerns, Child Protective Services services

18:00

highlighted apprehensions that

18:03

Jelissa's mental health struggles might impede

18:05

her ability to provide proper care

18:07

for Eli. They

18:09

also feared her actions could be

18:11

negatively impacting Eli's relationship with his

18:13

father, who they described as a

18:15

stabilizing influence in his life. Despite

18:19

these serious concerns, Judge Tim

18:21

Wermacher ruled in Jelissa's favour,

18:23

granting her custody of Eli on

18:25

a trial basis in December. While

18:28

Jelissa had the backing of one social

18:31

worker, Beth Danner, who advocated for her

18:33

to receive full custody, Danner

18:35

had also highlighted some concerning issues.

18:39

She noted that Jelissa had been absent

18:41

from weekly therapy sessions for several months

18:43

and locked in sight into her own mental

18:45

health and behaviour. Additionally,

18:48

Danner pointed out instances of neglect

18:50

regarding Eli's medical needs, particularly

18:53

regarding his hearing aids. But

18:56

despite these red flags, Danner said in

18:58

her report, there is no current indication

19:00

that her son is physically unsafe in

19:03

her care. So

19:05

on the 10th of May 2022,

19:08

Jelissa was granted full custody of Eli.

19:11

This decision deeply upset Tori if

19:14

he believed that Eli had a more stable

19:16

relationship with his foster mother, which

19:18

had allowed him to be in the picture. Determined

19:21

to secure custody himself, Tori

19:24

expressed his desire for Eli to come

19:26

and live with him in Wisconsin, where

19:29

he owned a bait shop. Following

19:32

Eli's return to living with his mother,

19:34

there was a noticeable shift in his

19:36

behaviour. Previously a

19:39

diligent and cheerful child at school,

19:41

he began displaying signs of

19:43

anxiety and engaging in troubling

19:45

behaviour. Instances such

19:47

as pushing a child off a slide

19:49

and kicking another in the throat, actions

19:52

that were completely uncharacteristic of him,

19:55

raised serious concerns for Tori

19:57

about Eli's well-being at home. Eli

20:01

had often shown up to school without his hearing

20:03

aids, and he often told teachers

20:06

that he hadn't slept. The

20:09

situation continued to deteriorate as

20:12

Eli started to regress further. He developed

20:15

habits such as chewing on his t-shirt,

20:18

struggled with sleep, and exhibited

20:20

speech patterns akin to a baby,

20:23

accompanied by stuttering. Fearing

20:26

that Eli might be subjected to abuse,

20:28

Torrey took action and reached out to

20:31

Dakota County social workers to

20:33

express his apprehensions. Torrey

20:36

emphasized that Eli hadn't exhibited any of

20:38

these issues before returning to live with

20:41

his mother. He

20:43

pointed out Jelis's troubled mental health history,

20:46

noting instances of paranoia

20:48

and auditory hallucinations. He

20:51

also said, I feel so

20:54

bad for Eli. I feel he will

20:56

be injured or worse being back with his mum. Concerned

21:00

about his son's safety and well-being, Torrey

21:03

firmly believed that Eli would be better

21:05

off under his care in Wisconsin.

21:08

In pursuit of this belief, Torrey initiated

21:10

a separate legal case to secure custody

21:13

of his son. A hearing

21:16

on that petition was scheduled for the 21st of June.

21:20

Even Jelis's father seemed to support this

21:22

decision. He said of Torrey, he

21:25

was the parent that Eli deserved. He's

21:27

the guy you want raising your grandchild. Jelis's

21:30

grandmother Linda also agreed. She

21:33

had once had a close relationship with her

21:36

granddaughter Jelissa, but after she

21:38

filed the phony restraining orders against Torrey,

21:41

she cut off all ties with her. She

21:43

recalled, That man doesn't have

21:46

a mean bone in his body. I

21:48

said, you drop that restraining order now, or

21:50

you can consider our relationship

21:52

done. That was the last

21:54

time I talked to her. According

21:57

to records, Eli appeared to be much happier

21:59

when he was with her. his father during

22:01

their visits. One

22:03

of them noted, Tori brings

22:05

age-appropriate toys and activities and

22:08

is very engaging with Eli. During

22:10

these visits, Eli is noticeably

22:13

smiling, talkative, energetic and

22:15

he seems to enjoy them. It

22:17

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22:19

when Eli was visiting with his mother and

22:21

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the only one to observe the distressing changes

24:02

in Eli's behaviour after Jelissa

24:04

got full custody. Eli's

24:07

foster mother, Nikita, also took action

24:09

by reaching out to child protective

24:12

services. She voiced

24:14

her concerns about Jelissa's potential danger to

24:16

Eli, even suggesting that

24:18

she might resort to extreme measures to prevent

24:20

Tori from gaining custody, she

24:23

commented, I express

24:25

those fears numerous times, and

24:28

it was clearly brushed aside. Just

24:37

ten days after Jelissa regained full custody of

24:39

her son, police in the

24:41

city pulled over a young woman who was

24:43

driving with her back window smashed and her

24:46

tyre missing. She

24:49

explained to the officers that she was

24:51

onward to meet her AA sponsor, the

24:53

Tonker Alenow Society in Mound, when

24:56

she was ambushed by individuals emerging from

24:58

nearby woods who began pelting her car

25:00

with rocks. She

25:03

further claimed that they had fired upon her vehicle

25:06

with what she initially thought was a BB gun,

25:09

but later said that it was a paintball gun. While

25:12

one officer conversed with the woman, another

25:15

officer, Officer Wibush, worked

25:17

at a visual inspection of the

25:19

vehicle's exterior. He

25:22

was immediately struck by a pungent odour

25:24

of decay emanating from the car. Upon

25:28

closer examination, he observed traces of blood

25:30

in the back seat, on the ceiling,

25:33

and along the passenger side door. There

25:36

was also what appeared to be a bullet hole, as

25:38

well as a live shotgun shell and a

25:40

spent casing. There is no

25:42

tyre there, alright. One

26:06

question about the blood. The woman said

26:08

she had recently purchased some deer meat

26:10

from a farmer. But

26:13

blood was also present on her hands, which

26:15

she explained away as being from changing

26:17

her tampon. The

26:20

officer spent the next 30 minutes

26:22

trying to figure out if the

26:24

woman had been involved in an

26:26

incident outside of their jurisdiction. While

26:29

they were doing this, the woman appeared

26:31

to become impatient. She

26:34

complained that she was cold, so

26:36

the officers told her she could

26:38

leave while they looked into the

26:40

matter. However, they needed to give

26:42

her a lift back home because

26:44

her vehicle wasn't roadworthy. Before they

26:47

left, they asked the woman

26:49

for some identification. She

26:52

told them that her name was Jelissa Saylor. The

27:03

two officers accompanied Jelissa back to her apartment

27:06

in Spring Park before returning

27:08

to her damaged vehicle. They

27:11

intended to have it towed for further

27:13

investigation. While waiting for

27:16

the tow truck, the officers decided

27:18

to conduct a preliminary inspection. In

27:21

the backseat, they noticed what appeared to

27:23

be bloody tissue. Upon

27:25

opening the trunk, they were confronted

27:27

with a shotgun hidden behind a

27:29

grey blanket. The

27:32

blanket itself bore traces of

27:34

a blood-like substance along

27:36

with what appeared to be brain matter. Beneath

27:40

the blanket lay a horrifying discovery.

27:48

It was the lifeless and disfigured body

27:51

of a young boy, his features

27:53

unrecognizable. It

27:56

was six-year-old Eli, and he

27:58

had been shot nine times with a shotgun. completely

28:00

destroying his face and upper body.

28:04

The officers wasted no time and swiftly

28:06

returned to Jelissa's apartment. However,

28:09

their repeated knocks on the door yielded

28:11

no response. Without

28:14

hesitation, they resorted to breaking down the

28:16

door, revealing an

28:18

eerily empty apartment with

28:20

only the sound of a running washing machine

28:23

echoing through the space. Upon

28:26

closer inspection, they discovered that inside

28:28

the washing machine were the very

28:30

clothes Jelissa had been wearing during

28:32

the traffic stop. Their

28:35

investigation led them to Jelissa just a few

28:37

blocks away from her home, where

28:40

she was arrested. As

28:42

she was placed into handcuffs, the

28:44

officers observed blood and human tissue

28:46

entangled within her hair. During

28:54

Jelissa's arrest, she was charged with

28:56

the second-degree murder of Eli, prompting

28:58

detectives to launch a thorough investigation

29:00

into their final movements. Utilizing

29:04

the damage caused by Jelissa's car, detectives

29:06

managed to reconstruct some of her

29:08

activity from that morning. Their

29:11

investigation led them to a nearby petrol

29:13

station, where Jelissa had been before

29:15

her encounter with the officers. During

29:20

the area, detectives made some chilling discoveries

29:22

in the dumpsters. Among

29:25

them was a backpack, stained with blood

29:27

and brain matter. In

29:30

another dumpster, they found a child booster seat, ominously

29:33

marked by a shotgun blast, in

29:35

the exact position where a child's head would

29:37

have rested. It

29:40

became apparent that Eli had been secured in

29:42

his booster seat, when he

29:44

suffered the horrific fate of being shot

29:46

nine times with a shotgun. Inside

29:50

the booster seat led Eli's blood-soaked

29:52

backpack, containing his untouched

29:54

homework. As

29:57

detectives delved deeper into the investigation,

30:00

then covered more evidence linking Jelissa

30:02

to Evi's murder. Alma

30:05

Vasquez, the clerk at the Shell gas

30:07

station, provided crucial

30:09

insight, recounting Jelissa's activities

30:11

that morning. She

30:14

said that Jelissa had spent approximately an hour

30:16

at the gas station, cleaning out

30:18

her car's back seat and disposing of

30:21

the items in the dumpsters. Alma

30:24

also observed Jelissa washing her hands in a

30:26

puddle, a detail that

30:28

would prove significant in the forensic

30:31

analysis. Upon

30:33

further examination at the gas station,

30:35

forensic experts discovered traces of Eli's

30:38

DNA in the water and dumpsters.

30:41

Additionally, testimony from a friend shed

30:43

light on Jelissa's disturbing behaviour leading

30:46

up to Eli's death. She

30:49

had shown a keen interest in

30:51

firearms, purchasing a shotgun and ammunition

30:53

with a disturbing request for the

30:55

most destructive rounds. Jelissa

30:58

had also researched morbid topics

31:01

such as child life insurance and blood

31:03

loss thresholds for a six-year-old. The

31:06

detectives continued in their investigation and

31:09

they obtained surveillance footage from outside

31:11

Jelissa's apartment the night before Eli

31:13

was found. She

31:15

could be seen loading a long object

31:18

wrapped in a blanket into her car.

31:21

It was the shotgun. As

31:23

she did that, Eli skipped along

31:25

and climbed into the back seat of the

31:27

car. As

31:35

details of Eli's upbringing were made public,

31:38

questions were raised about whether or not he

31:40

had been filled by the services set up

31:42

to protect children just like him. His

31:46

former foster mother, Nikita, blasted

31:48

the child protective services and

31:50

said that they had failed Eli big time. Tori's

31:54

fiancee, Juicy, echoed

31:56

the same sentiment, stating, No

31:59

matter how many times we cried, they ignored

32:01

us, no matter how many

32:03

warning signs we gave. On

32:05

the 22nd of May, approximately

32:07

200 people gathered at the Wistonka

32:09

Library to honour the memory of

32:12

Eli. The library

32:14

held special significance as

32:16

it was a place that Eli had cherished, often

32:19

visiting with his father to indulge in

32:21

their shared love of reading. As

32:24

a tribute to Eli's aspirations of becoming

32:26

a firefighter, the Mound Fire

32:28

Department presented a helmet in his

32:30

honour, along with bestowing upon him the title

32:33

of Honorary Member. Eli's

32:36

dreams would forever remain unfulfilled,

32:39

as he would forever remain six years old.

32:43

Tori, who was holding tightly to a

32:45

bag containing his son's ashes, was present at

32:47

the service, accompanied by

32:50

Eli's foster father, Brian Nair.

32:54

Brian reflected on the poignant gathering,

32:56

stating, It's sad to

32:58

see that it has to come from a little boy

33:00

passing in such a violent death, but it's

33:02

great to see the support from the community. It's

33:05

great to see people have come out to support

33:07

his family and just come together

33:09

and remember Eli. Remember

33:12

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33:15

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33:17

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33:20

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33:23

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33:26

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33:30

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33:32

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33:44

people just know the more you protect, the

33:46

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33:49

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33:51

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34:11

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34:14

After the memorial, the Mound City Council

34:16

voted to name a local bridge in

34:19

Eli's honour. The

34:21

bridge was across a channel from Lake

34:23

Minnetonka and was currently unnamed. The

34:26

petition to rename the bridge after Eli drew

34:28

more than 2,300 signatures. People

34:33

had suggested that renaming the bridge in

34:35

Eli's memory would remind people to

34:37

keep pushing for a better system to

34:39

protect children. But

34:42

the community wanted to do more to remember

34:44

Eli, and a group of

34:46

people began fundraising to build a playground in

34:48

his name. Eli

34:51

loved playgrounds, especially the

34:53

monkey bars, and it seemed like

34:55

a fitting tribute. In

34:57

August of that year, Tory filed a

34:59

lawsuit against Dakota Conte and three

35:02

of its employees for allegedly ignoring

35:04

warning signs that Jelissa was mentally

35:06

ill and unfit to care for

35:08

Eli. He noted how

35:10

two social workers and a court appointed to

35:12

Guardian had repeatedly raised

35:14

concerns about Jelissa, but

35:17

still recommended she be granted full

35:19

custody. His

35:21

attorney, Joshua Tutsher, announced, had

35:23

due care and reasonable decision-making

35:25

being employed here, Eli

35:28

would not have been returned to his mother,

35:30

and she would not have had an opportunity to kill

35:32

him. In the lawsuit,

35:34

Tory accused Jelissa of failing to abide by

35:36

the rules set down by the court and

35:38

her monitors, such as failing

35:40

to show up for mandated drug tests

35:43

and engaging in inappropriate conduct with her

35:45

son. He accused

35:47

her of leaving rotting food in her apartment,

35:50

testing positive for methadone and OxyContin,

35:52

and exposing Eli to images and

35:54

videos of naked women. He

35:58

also said that Jelissa had told her therapist, that

36:00

she had once left Eli on the

36:02

side of a cliff in Colorado when

36:05

she fetched a drinking cup. She

36:08

had described tying a rope onto herself and

36:10

climbing down the side of the cliff to

36:12

retrieve the drinking cup. She

36:15

had left Eli unattended at the cliffside

36:18

and couldn't say why she didn't just go out and purchase

36:20

a new drinking cup instead of

36:22

putting herself and Eli in danger.

36:26

While this was going through the courts, Jalissa

36:29

had a competency evaluation at the request

36:31

of her defense attorney. It

36:33

found that she was competent and could assist

36:35

in her own defense. Then

36:38

in January of 2023, Jalissa's murder

36:41

charge was upgraded to first-degree murder.

36:44

Her trial was scheduled for the following months, but

36:47

before then she made a request to the judge.

36:50

She asked for a warning during the

36:53

trial before graphic photographs and evidence were

36:55

presented, and asked whether she

36:57

could leave the courtroom to avoid seeing exactly

36:59

what she had done to her own son.

37:03

Prosecutor Don Allard described the photographs as

37:05

the worst thing he had ever seen

37:07

in his entire life and

37:09

objected to Jalissa being given a warning or

37:11

being allowed to leave the courtroom. The

37:14

judge ultimately rejected her request and

37:17

by the 3rd of February, a jury was

37:19

seated and the trial was ready to begin.

37:25

The courtroom filled up quickly as

37:27

Jalissa sat alongside her defense team

37:29

in preparation for the opening statements.

37:33

Her defense attorney Rebecca Nussad asked

37:36

the jury to come to the table with an open mind,

37:38

assume nothing, and withhold

37:40

judgement until deliberations. She

37:44

stated, A beautiful six-year-old

37:46

boy is dead. His grieving

37:48

mother is sitting here accused of murdering her

37:50

son with a shotgun. There's

37:52

no light at the end of this trial, no

37:54

way to bring him back. Prosecutor

37:57

Britta Ropp didn't offer a motivation

37:59

during her opening statements, but

38:02

said that they would show that the murder

38:04

was premeditated. She

38:06

revealed how Jelissa had taken out life

38:08

insurance policies, obtained a firearm

38:11

permit, purchased a shotgun and even

38:13

searched on the internet how much

38:15

life insurance pay for a dead

38:17

child, as well as how

38:19

much blood can a six-year-old lose. The

38:22

first witness to testify during the trial

38:24

was Tory, who poignantly told the court that

38:26

there was still so much he wanted to do with

38:29

his son before his life was

38:31

brutally cut short. He

38:33

was emotional, as he said. He was

38:36

everything to me. He completed my

38:38

life. I just loved spending time

38:40

with him. All the stuff I got

38:42

to show him, and all the stuff I wanted to show

38:45

him. The

38:47

two officers who responded to the

38:49

911 call the morning Eli's body

38:51

was found, testified about Jelissa's demeanor.

38:54

She refused to make eye contact and appeared

38:56

to be nervous. Officer

38:59

Trent Wibush stated, It raised

39:02

my level of alertness to be beyond

39:04

a routine traffic stop. Something

39:06

more is going on than not having a tire.

39:10

The evidence against Jelissa was

39:12

overwhelming. Detectives presented

39:15

the surveillance footage, as

39:17

well as the forensic evidence found at the

39:19

dumpster and puddle. When

39:22

Jelissa was arrested, the blood and brain matter

39:24

in her hair came back as a match

39:26

to Eli's DNA. The

39:30

prosecutor said that the night that Eli was killed

39:32

had followed what seemed to be a happy day

39:34

for him. Eli

39:36

and Jelissa had gone shopping, ate

39:38

pizza, and then watched movies. This

39:42

testimony had come from Jelissa's boyfriend at the

39:44

time, Robert Pickeranian, but when

39:46

it came bad time, Eli

39:48

didn't want to go to sleep. This

39:51

caused an argument, so Jelissa shuffled

39:53

him into the car. Prosecutor

39:57

Allard said that Eli probably thought he was going

39:59

on a late night's visit. adventure with his mother.

40:03

They drove her on the western suburbs of

40:05

Minneapolis until Jelissa found a

40:07

secluded spot where she shot him nine

40:09

times as he sat in the backseat.

40:13

The prosecutor noted that the final three

40:16

shots were fired after Jelissa

40:18

had reloaded the weapon. Cell

40:23

phone data from Jelissa's phone placed

40:25

the murder at Lake Minnetonka Regional

40:27

Park. Her cell

40:29

phone data also put her at all of the scenes

40:31

where evidence was found. While

40:33

the prosecution wasn't required to prove a motive

40:36

for the murder, they mentioned that

40:38

Eli was the subject of a

40:40

custody dispute between Jelissa and Tori.

40:43

The defense, on the other hand, suggested

40:45

that somebody else may have pulled the

40:48

trigger. Defense attorney

40:50

Brian Leary admitted that the prosecution

40:52

had presented enough evidence to show that

40:54

Jelissa was guilty of

40:56

participating in murder. However,

40:59

he said they didn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt

41:01

that the gun was in her hands. He

41:05

stated, she destroyed

41:07

evidence, lied to police, ran

41:09

away, but they have improved beyond a

41:11

reasonable doubt that the gun was in her hands

41:14

when it was fired nine times into

41:16

her son. The

41:18

defense attorney declined to suggest who may have

41:20

pulled the trigger, and he

41:22

opted out of calling any

41:25

witnesses. However, Jelissa and Eli were

41:27

the only two seemed getting into the

41:29

car the night of the murder. Then

41:32

Jelissa arrived back home alone after

41:34

the two officers escorted her there

41:36

after stopping her damaged vehicle. The

41:40

jury deliberated for just two hours

41:42

before finding Jelissa Thaler, guilty

41:44

of the murder of Eli Hart. The

41:47

judge scheduled the sentencing phase for the 16th of February,

41:51

but the conviction carried an automatic

41:53

life sentence. The

41:56

Details of Eli's murder were so horrific, the

41:58

jurors were offered to. Free crisis

42:01

counseling. On

42:07

the sixteen to favour a Julissa return to

42:09

court to be sentenced for a vice murder.

42:12

Victim. Impact statements were presented.

42:15

And. He my father and stepmother with the

42:17

first to stand before the microphone. It

42:20

was an amazing through boy toy.

42:22

Zoc a full of energy him

42:25

after he was kind make friends

42:27

easily loved reading books. You

42:30

I had a love. For. Animals that was

42:32

very special. He

42:34

likes floored sit outside fish

42:36

with that. To. The

42:38

Sasabe alongside her defense team. Wiping.

42:40

Away tears with the tissue. A sushi

42:42

spoke about the bond. Between Eli and

42:45

Tory. Sullivan connection

42:47

is yard with his. Son. The

42:51

three had with the only son. Was

42:54

some mean I was privileged to see. You

42:59

can. See. The Law of and bomb. They

43:01

shared every second they were together. They

43:04

had is esther spark between them

43:06

that everyone could see. Now

43:10

we only have memories. Are

43:13

bigger? not enough? Time

43:17

was taken from us. A

43:19

lifetime. Or memories. Be

43:22

made gone. The

43:24

moment. Goes

43:27

I treasure that has been a

43:29

parent myself. Tory will never have

43:31

those experiences. A

43:34

lifetime without you like robbed

43:36

of us. School

43:39

milestones that we will never to

43:41

see like Sweden to the garden

43:43

and elementary school. All the artwork

43:45

should have brought home and put

43:47

on the front facing. the

43:51

first day of middle school

43:53

and high school prom graduation

43:55

watch him play sports teach

43:57

him to drive stolen from

43:59

us Watching

44:01

Eli grow and become a young man and

44:04

what he could have been and done in

44:06

this world. We

44:08

will never have those memories. No

44:11

more hugs, no more snuggles. They

44:13

were ripped from us. Josie

44:15

spoke on behalf of herself and Tori, but

44:18

he stood by her side the entire time. She

44:22

was then given the chance to make a statement.

44:51

The person that takes a child from

44:54

the world, what I can imagine,

44:56

nobody can imagine, is when the

44:58

person that takes a child from the world

45:00

is going to hurt that child. That

45:03

is what the jury completely

45:05

did. They respect the jury's judgment.

45:08

They respect Minnesota's decision

45:11

about what the appropriate consequences are. Nothing

45:14

I do would bring justice to

45:16

this situation. Nothing I do

45:19

would bring any of the same cause

45:21

of doing that. But what is

45:23

according to a lot of the stuff in

45:25

here, it is a different

45:28

concept. It is like a

45:30

prison layout, the possibility

45:34

of a call, so you just go to

45:36

the first degree learner and you just do that. The sentence,

45:39

I will not implore you to get there.

45:41

I can't hear you over your stomach. Five

45:45

lines that you are being sentenced to life

45:47

in prison without the possibility of growing a

45:50

scholar. In

46:00

1973, Mound City Council approved the new

46:02

playground to be dedicated in Eli's memory.

46:06

Private fundraising had covered the cost of the

46:08

playground equipment, and the council

46:10

voted to spend $120,000 from

46:13

the city's municipal liquor fund and

46:16

the Special Project Reserve Fund to prepare

46:18

the ground for the new playground. It

46:21

was to replace the smaller playground in

46:23

Surfside Park on the shore of

46:26

Lake Minnetonka. It's

46:28

scheduled to be built and open by the summer of

46:30

2024. The

46:34

lawsuit that Torrey filed is still pending.

46:37

The tragic story of Eli Hart underscores

46:40

the flaws within a system vulnerable

46:42

to manipulation by a parent

46:44

driven to win custody by any

46:46

means necessary. It

46:49

exposes the daunting challenges that fathers

46:51

face in securing custody rights, particularly

46:54

in cases where the parents were never

46:56

married. Tragically,

46:59

Eli paid the ultimate price as a

47:01

result of these systemic shortcomings.

47:26

Well, bestie's ad is it for this episode

47:29

of Morbidology. As always, thank

47:31

you so much for listening and I'd like to

47:33

say a massive thank you to my newest supporters

47:35

up on Patreon, Carrie and Lia. You

47:38

can join Morbidology on Patreon for as little as

47:40

$1 a month and there are no obligations. You

47:43

can cancel your subscription at any time. Up

47:46

on Patreon, I upload ad-free and

47:48

early release episodes, bonus episodes of

47:51

Morbidology plus behind the scenes.

47:53

And I also send out a hundred and thank

47:55

you card along with some merch. As

47:59

mentioned, Morbidology. is now up on

48:01

YouTube. The episodes on YouTube

48:03

are presented in a documentary style

48:05

along with photographs and videos relevant

48:07

to each case including

48:09

interrogations, surveillance footage, interviews

48:12

and trial testimony. So

48:14

if you're up on YouTube please go over

48:17

and search for morbidology and hit that subscribe

48:19

button. Remember to check

48:21

us out at morbidology.com for more information

48:23

about this episode and to read some

48:25

true crime articles. Until next

48:27

time take care of yourselves, stay safe

48:29

and have an amazing week. Have

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you ever experienced the frustration of life's

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timing not quite aligning with your payday?

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earning steps in offering you the flexibility

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out when friends suggest an impromptu night

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