CLEVELAND (WJW) – Defense attorneys for the woman accused of killing a child in a North Olmsted grocery store parking lot last year have requested that the jury be sequestered.
Monday morning, during a pretrial hearing, just days before the case is set to go to trial, attorneys for Bionca Ellis told the judge, “No matter what she’s charged with, she deserves a fair trial.”
Prosecutors in the case asked Judge John Russo to deny the request, noting that a sequestered jury is unusual for a case in Cuyahoga County and would pose an inconvenience to jurors.
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Russo said he would make a ruling before the end of the day on Monday.
In June 2024, police said 3-year-old Julian Wood died when Ellis stabbed him as he was with his mother in an unprovoked attack. It happened in the parking lot of a Giant Eagle store.
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Investigators found Ellis did not know the boy or his mother.
Ellis’ trial is set to begin on Oct.1 with jury selection. Opening statements are expected to be held Oct. 6…