Woman Found Guilty in Fatal Stabbing of a 3-Year-Old in Grocery Store Parking Lot

Ohio Woman Convicted of Fatally Stabbing 3-Year-Old Outside Cleveland Supermarket

A woman in Ohio has been found guilty of fatally stabbing a 3-year-old boy outside a Cleveland-area supermarket.

The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Oct. 15 that a jury convicted 34-year-old Bionca Ellis in the death of Julian Wood. According to WKYC, Ellis has a history of schizophrenia, and her defense attorneys had entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

After a week-and-a-half-long trial, Ellis was found guilty on nine charges, including aggravated murder, felonious assault, child endangering, and aggravated theft.

She was originally indicted by a grand jury in 2023 and held on a $5 million bond. Following her conviction, she is now awaiting sentencing on Oct. 27, ABC News reported.

During the court proceedings, Julian’s parents were present. His mother, Margot Wood, said, “This was for him today.”

According to investigators, on June 3, 2024, Ellis stole two knives from the Volunteers of America Thrift Store located next to a Giant Eagle supermarket. When she entered the grocery store, she saw Margot and Julian and began following them.

After Margot paid for her groceries and left the store, Ellis continued to trail her and her son to their car. As Margot loaded the groceries into the trunk, Ellis suddenly attacked, stabbing Julian multiple times as he sat in the shopping cart, Cleveland.com reported.

Margot testified that Ellis stabbed Julian in the face before she tried to pull him from the cart. Ellis then stabbed Margot in the shoulder and turned back to Julian, stabbing him again in the back.

A nearby witness, Travis Bush, told the court he confronted Ellis after the attack and asked if she realized she had just stabbed a child. He said Ellis simply shrugged.

Bystanders quickly called police. Officers from the North Olmsted Police Department (NOPD) found Ellis walking away from the scene still holding a knife. She was arrested immediately.

First responders attempted life-saving measures on Julian before he and his mother were taken to a nearby hospital. Margot was treated for her injuries, but Julian was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.