Schizophrenic Woman Convicted of Fatally Stabbing 3-Year-Old Boy

On October 15, 2025, a jury in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, found Bionca Ellis, 34, guilty of the brutal murder of 3-year-old Julian Wood. The tragic incident occurred on June 3, 2024, outside a Giant Eagle supermarket in Cleveland.

According to the evidence presented, Ellis had stolen two knives from a nearby thrift store and then followed Julian and his mother, Margot Wood, into the supermarket. As Margot was loading groceries into her car, Ellis immediately stabbed Julian multiple times while he was sitting in the shopping cart. Margot tried to pull her son out of the cart but was also stabbed in the shoulder.

Eyewitness Travis Bush testified that he confronted Ellis about the attack, but she simply shrugged in response. Nearby witnesses called the police, and Ellis was arrested at the scene while walking away with a knife in her hand.

Tragically, despite the efforts of first responders, Julian was pronounced dead at the hospital. Margot was treated for her shoulder injuries.

Ellis, who has a history of schizophrenia, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but the jury ultimately found her guilty on nine criminal counts, including aggravated murder, felonious assault, and child endangerment. She is scheduled to be sentenced on October 27, 2025.

The senseless killing has deeply impacted the Cleveland community, and Julian's parents attended the court proceedings, with his mother, Margot, stating, "This was for him today."