The suspected murderer of three-year-old Julian Wood from Ohio claims she killed the boy in California

Ed Gallek and Peggy Gallek

7 mins ago

CLEVELAND – The suspect accused of killing a 3-year-old boy outside an Ohio grocery store told police three months ago that she had killed a woman in California and said she would kill again, court records show.

However, Bionca Ellis remained free to roam the streets and the country, and she traveled to Florida.

NewsNation partner WJW uncovered chilling information about Ellis, who is accused of stabbing and killing 3-year-old Julian Wood on June 3. Police in North Olmsted, a western suburb of Cleveland, said Ellis attacked the child and his mother in the parking lot of a Giant Eagle grocery store. Julian’s mother survived.

Ellis had an arrest warrant out of Rocky River Municipal Court for a probation violation stemming from a theft charge that occurred in May 2023.

According to court records from Kern County, California, arrest warrants were issued for Ellis in February of this year. She was charged with three counts of assault.

Despite the warrants in California, Ellis somehow made it back to Ohio and ended up in a women’s shelter in February. On February 24, an officer at the shelter called Cleveland police and said Ellis wanted to confess to killing someone in California.

“Bionca then went and stated that she had murdered someone in Bakersfield, California sometime in the last few months,” the report states. “She stated that the victim was a white female, approximately 5’3″, 150 pounds, and that she was a bartender or worked at a bar.”

Ellis also told police she dumped the body in an unknown location, possibly near a river, and was unsure if the body had been found.

The Cleveland officer contacted a detective with the Bakersfield Police Department, who said they had several unsolved murder cases that sounded similar to the one Ellis described. But in none of those cases was Ellis listed as a named suspect.

The Cleveland report also said Ellis told officials that if she didn’t go to prison, “she would murder someone at the home.” She also said she wanted to “kill someone and eat their flesh.”

Bakersfield police said they did not have enough evidence to arrest Ellis on a murder charge and would not arrest her on the assault warrants.

Cleveland police also contacted North Olmsted police about the parole violation warrant. However, North Olmsted police said they would not take her into custody, instead recommending that they “inform” them about the warrant.

Cleveland police took Ellis to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

The report further noted that while in the hospital, Ellis “became extremely angry and agitated and began fighting with nurses, doctors and police officers.” She was sedated for her own safety, the report said.

It is unknown how long she remained in the hospital, but a few weeks later she was arrested near Orlando, Florida. According to reports from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, Ellis was arrested for trespassing after refusing to leave a hotel. She was eventually released from jail and returned to Ohio.

Then she was arrested in Ohio, just days before Julian’s murder. A judge recommended a psychiatric evaluation. Rocky River Municipal Court Judge Brian Hagan released her without a hearing. Last week, the judge told WJW he knew nothing troubling when he released Ellis and would handle the case the same way if he had to do it again.

On Monday morning, Ellis appeared in Cuyahoga County District Court to face murder charges in connection with the stabbing of Julian Wood and the attack on his mother.

Ellis smiled and grimaced as Judge Nancy Margaret Russo read the charges.

Julian’s father Jared briefly called for Ellis to go to prison.

“She took everything from us. There is nothing that could ever replace my son. Do everything you can to keep this monster locked up,” he said.

Russo set bail at $5 million.

Cuyahoga County prosecutors could still decide to seek the death penalty.