CLEVELAND (Court TV) — An Ohio woman convicted of fatally stabbing a 3-year-old boy outside a grocery store was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Bionca Ellis appears in court at her sentencing on Oct. 27, 2025. (Court TV)

Earlier this month, Bionca Ellis was convicted of 10 felony charges, including murder and attempted murder, in the June 2024 death of Julian Wood, after a jury rejected her insanity defense.

The attack occurred when Ellis stole knives from a Volunteers of America store and followed Margot Wood and her son, 3-year-old Julian, as they left a Giant Eagle grocery store.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge John Russo handed down the maximum sentence during an emotional hearing where the victim’s family delivered powerful impact statements.

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