Day 5: Toddler Stabbed to Death | Bionca Ellis Trial [NO BREAKS EDITION]

Day 5 of the Ohio v. Bionca Ellis trial continues with new details in the horrific murder of 3-year-old Julian Wood. This special “no breaks” edition removes all recesses, pauses, and sidebars for a continuous, uninterrupted viewing experience. This also includes an extension of some testimony from day 4.

Trial Timestamps:
00:00:00 Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Megan Testa
01:08:06 Dr. Stephen Noffsinger - Forensic Psychiatrist
01:58:10 Dr. Sara West - Forensic Psychiatrist

About the Case: In June 2024, 3-year-old Julian Wood was stabbed to death outside a Giant Eagle grocery store in North Olmsted, Ohio, while his mother, Margot Wood, was loading groceries into her car. Prosecutors say Bionca Ellis, a 34-year-old woman with no prior criminal record, stole two knives from a nearby Volunteers of America store, then followed the mother and child out of the grocery store before launching a random, brutal attack.

Margot survived her injuries, but Julian tragically did not. Authorities say Ellis appeared calm after the stabbing, walking away with the blood-covered knife still in her hand before being arrested moments later.

Charges
• Aggravated Murder
• Murder
• Attempted Murder
• Felonious Assault
• Child Endangering

Potential Sentence: Life in prison

Day 5 in Court
• Defense Expert Testimony: Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Megan Testa conducted a 20-day competency evaluation and confirmed Ellis’s long history of schizophrenia, delusions, and medication noncompliance. Ellis had been hospitalized repeatedly since 2015 for psychotic episodes involving hallucinations, paranoia, and disorganized behavior.

• Mental Health History: Ellis was treated at Mortis Taylor Health Facility since February 2023 and hospitalized 13 times overall. She experienced delusions such as believing she had 23 children, hearing voices urging her to harm herself, and making bizarre statements about purity, dinosaurs, and espionage.
• Jail Behavior: In custody, Ellis refused medication, was found naked eating food with her hands, and spoke incoherently about dinosaurs. Her condition improved significantly when medicated but deteriorated quickly when off treatment.
• Dr. Testa: Found Ellis competent after treatment but unable to assess her sanity at the time of the stabbing.
• Dr. Sara West (initial evaluation, July 2024): Found Ellis severely mentally ill and incompetent to stand trial at first; later deemed competent by February 2025 after medication. She testified that Ellis likely did not know her actions were wrong during the attack. Ellis told doctors she “blacked out” and heard voices telling her to kill someone or herself, saying she only realized what happened after being jailed.
• Dr. Stephen Noffsinger agreed Ellis has schizophrenia but testified she knew right from wrong at the time. In his videotaped evaluation, Ellis admitted knowing it was wrong to stab people, called it a “life or death situation,” and said she “lost control.”
• The defense concluded after the psychiatric testimony, with the prosecution’s rebuttal emphasizing that Ellis’s mental illness did not meet the legal threshold for insanity.

This case is presided over by Judge Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas.

Stay tuned as we continue to cover this tragic and complex trial, day by day.

This courtroom trial footage is public domain and presented under the protections of the Fair Use Act for educational, informational, and news reporting purposes.