Competency questioned for woman charged in toddler’s murder at Giant Eagle
CLEVELAND (WJW) – A woman charged with killing a local toddler outside of a grocery store is appeared in court Tuesday.
Bionca Ellis, 33, is accused of stabbing 3-year-old Julian Wood and his mother Margot Wood on June 3 at a Giant Eagle grocery store in North Olmsted.
TownHall owner Bobby George charged with rape, attempted murder
Julian Wood was stabbed in the face and back and was killed.
Ellis was arrested at the scene with the murder weapon, according to police.
She faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder.
Ellis’ mental competency was at the forefront of a pretrial hearing on Tuesday.
Giant Eagle stabbing suspect: Bionca Ellis pretrial FOX 8 photo Bionca Ellis, 32, center right, appears in the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas court, Monday, June 10, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio, in the stabbing death of 3-year-old Julian Wood in a grocery store parking lot in June. (Cory Shaffer/Cleveland.com via AP) Bionca Ellis Bionca Ellis FOX 8 photo
Defense attorneys argued during a July court appearance that Ellis was not competent to stand trial.
Prosecutors asked that Ellis be evaluated by the court psych clinic.
The judge in the case ordered that Northcoast Behavioral Healthcare would observe Ellis for 20 days and provide a report to determine competency.
The judge expects for attorneys to receive that report by mid-October to then determine how the case will move forward.
Giant Eagle stabbing suspect claimed she killed months before child’s death: I-Team
Ellis has entered a not-guilty plea.
The FOX 8 I-Team previously learned Ellis had been in jail days before the attack on a probation violation.
A Rocky River judge didn’t follow through with a recommendation for a psychological exam before her release, the I-Team learned.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
