CLEVELAND — Bionca Ellis, the woman at a North Olmsted Giant Eagle in June of 2024, appeared in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for her final pretrial hearing on Wednesday.

The trial is following multiple delays.

On Aug. 27, defense attorneys representing Ellis filed a motion to Judge John J. Russo expressing her intent to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

The motion marked a shift in strategy for Ellis and her team. The 34-year-old Cleveland native originally entered a simple not guilty plea after being indicted for aggravated murder, but her team is instead arguing that while she did indeed kill Julian and injure his mother, Margot, she "did not know, as a result of a severe mental disease or defect , the wrongfulness" of her actions.

"Defendant initially entered a plea of

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