CLEVELAND (Court TV) — An Ohio woman convicted of fatally stabbing a 3-year-old boy outside a grocery store was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Bionca Ellis appears in court at her sentencing on Oct. 27, 2025. (Court TV)
Earlier this month, Bionca Ellis was convicted of 10 felony charges, including murder and attempted murder, in the June 2024 death of Julian Wood, after a jury rejected her insanity defense.
The attack occurred when Ellis stole knives from a Volunteers of America store and followed Margot Wood and her son, 3-year-old Julian, as they left a Giant Eagle grocery store.
Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John Russo handed down the maximum sentence during an emotional hearing where the victim’s family delivered powerful impact statements.
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“You have not only hurt me, you have taken my youngest son, you have caused trauma to my other children,” Margot Wood said during her victim impact statement.
Margot described watching her son take his last breaths in her arms, covered in his blood, after Ellis stabbed the toddler in the face and back with a butcher knife. Julian died from his injuries, while Margot survived stab wounds to her shoulder.
“I hate you with every fiber of my being,” Margot told Ellis during the sentencing hearing.
Julian’s father, Jared Wood, spoke about his son’s boundless energy and love for dinosaurs, describing him as “funny, outgoing, fearless, full of life, love and laughter.” He called Ellis a “monster” who robbed their family of countless future memories.
The prosecution, led by Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys Anna Faraglia and Jillian Piteo, asked for the maximum sentence, arguing that Ellis carefully selected her weapon and deliberately targeted the victims. Surveillance video showed Ellis testing knives against concrete pillars before choosing an 8-inch butcher knife and following the Wood family through the parking lot.
Defense attorneys Fernando Mack and Carlos Johnson acknowledged Ellis’s responsibility but argued for a lesser sentence, citing her mental illness. They requested 20 years before parole eligibility, noting that Ellis suffers from schizophrenia and was off her medication at the time of the attack.
MORE | Margot Wood breaks down recounting attack that killed son Julian
Ellis briefly addressed the court before sentencing, saying only, “I just want to say I apologize for what I did.”
Judge Russo acknowledged the devastating impact on both families while emphasizing that mental illness does not excuse the crime. He sentenced Ellis to life without parole for aggravated murder and additional sentences on the remaining counts, all running concurrently.
Ellis had been deemed incompetent to stand trial in September 2024 but was restored to competency after five months of treatment. She had a documented history of mental health issues, including 13 hospitalizations and a pattern of non-compliance with medication.
The defense indicated they plan to appeal the conviction and sentence.
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