CLEVELAND, Ohio (Scripps News Cleveland) — The woman accused of fatally stabbing a 3-year-old in an Ohio grocery store parking lot has been deemed competent to stand trial.
Bionca Ellis faces 10 felony charges for the June 3, 2024, homicide.
This image from Scripps News Cleveland shows a memorial for Julian Wood. (Scripps News Cleveland)
North Olmsted Police said the 33-year-old stole knives from a thrift store before walking to the nearby Giant Eagle and using the weapons in a seemingly random attack.
Three-year-old Julian Wood died, and his mother was injured.
The attack has shaken many people in the North Olmsted community.
“Now it’s just a part of my life. Pulling in and out, that’s what I’m looking at. So he’s never going to be forgotten,” said Mike Zart, referring to a mural on the side of a building where his contracting business is based.
In October, a local artist painted a bright green dinosaur on the building near the grocery store in Julian’s honor.
It now features a plaque with a dedication from North Olmsted leaders. Zart said the mural attracts frequent attention from many who were touched by the tragedy.
“It’s a daily occurrence. You’ll see them here taking photos or stopping their car and talking about it,” he said.
In the eight months since the attack, the case has garnered outrage and calls for accountability. Questions about the defendant’s mental health have also been a central concern.
Ellis’s attorneys pointed to her strange behavior in court and said her mental state made her unable to participate in her defense.
She was previously ruled incompetent to stand trial, and a judge ordered her to receive treatment and take her recommended medication.
According to Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas records, Ellis was undergoing an evaluation when the doctor treating her stated: “That the defendant is incompetent to stand trial, but that there is a substantial probability of restoration to competency within the statutory time frame if provided with a course of treatment.”
On Tuesday, both prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed the treatment was working, and the case could move forward.
“Competency looks at today. Is she able to do this? Not guilty by reason of insanity looks backward to the time of the crime. Was she capable of controlling and understanding at the time of the crime? So that issue would have to be explored,” Case Western Reserve University Criminal Law Professor of Practice Michael Benza explained in July.
Attorneys on both sides declined to comment on the ongoing case on Tuesday.
Neighbors said they hope the competency ruling is a step toward accountability and justice for Julian’s family.
“It’s got to be a some consolation for them – if there’s any,” said Zart. “It’s never going to replace [him] or repair what happened.”
The trial for Ellis is scheduled to begin July 14.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Cleveland, an E.W. Scripps Company.
