Bionca Ellis Receives Life Without Parole for Toddler's Murder

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Bionca Ellis, a 34-year-old Cleveland woman, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Monday, October 27, 2025, for the fatal stabbing of 3-year-old Julian Wood. The tragic incident occurred in June 2024 as the boy sat in a grocery cart outside a Giant Eagle supermarket in North Olmsted, Ohio. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John Russo imposed the maximum sentence following Ellis's conviction on charges including aggravated murder. A jury found Ellis guilty earlier in October of aggravated murder, felonious assault, child endangering, and aggravated theft, rejecting her defense of not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors stated that Ellis's "horrific actions warrant nothing less than life without parole," highlighting the unprovoked and brutal nature of the attack. Ellis remained largely expressionless as the sentence was handed down. Authorities detailed that Ellis stole two knives from a thrift store before entering the Giant Eagle and following Julian Wood and his mother, Margot Wood, into the parking lot. She then stabbed the toddler twice and injured his mother, who attempted to shield her son. Julian Wood died from his injuries, while Margot Wood sustained a shoulder stab wound. During the emotional sentencing hearing, Julian's mother, Margot Wood, delivered a powerful victim impact statement. "That woman murdering my son replays in my head every single day," she told the court, adding, "You deserve to go to jail for the rest of your life so you can’t hurt anyone else." Julian's father, Jared Wood, described his son as "funny, outgoing, fearless, full of life," and called Ellis a "monster." Ellis's defense attorneys, Fernando Mack and Carlos Johnson, argued for a lesser sentence, citing her documented history of schizophrenia and claiming she was not sane at the time of the murder. They stated their intention to appeal the conviction and sentence, asserting that the ruling was "the wrong outcome." Ellis herself offered a brief apology in court, stating, "I just want to say I apologize for what I did."