You see this? This is blood. >> No, it's not. It was near me. Do >> you hear me? >> A whole bag of ravioli and groceries over here. >> Let me see your hand for a second. Can you just show your hand to me? >> These officers are making what should be a 2-minute traffic stop. But what they can't see is at 4t behind them inside the driver's car trunk. is her six-year-old son wrapped in a blanket without a head. And in a few minutes, they're still going to send her home. >> Uh, what the [ __ ] is that? All right, let's cover it. On May 20th, 2022 in Orano, Minnesota, police receive a 911 call about a silver Impala with a shattered back windshield riding on the rim and speeding down the road as if the driver is trying to get away from something. Officers immediately give chase, believing to tackle the case of oversp speeding. They have no idea they're about to stumble into one of the most gut-wrenching cases a city has ever seen. Officers pull the car over and find 31-year-old Jalissa Thaylor behind the wheel, jumping, much more restless than someone who's about to get a ticket. >> What's going on? >> I can't hear you. Talk louder than me. >> Okay. Would I speed you? >> Um, well, you're you don't have a tire. >> Oh, I know. I'm going home right now. >> You're going where? >> I'm going right now to get >> Okay. Where's home? >> I'm just down the block. Um, do you mind if I get on my way? My I really can't like drive. >> Right. So, that's why you're being stopped right now. Some people don't have a tire. >> Exactly. And I'm on my way. I literally live one block away. >> Okay. Do you have a driver's license on you today? >> Do you guys have Can I give you my driver's license? The explanation does not make much sense because paintballs simply do not cause this kind of damage. The officers noticed something else that makes the story even harder to believe. >> Okay, so you said kids were shooting BB's at your window. When was that? >> Um like an hour ago. >> Where where was that? >> Um over by the >> Over by where? Okay. And do you know these people? >> They were kids that were shooting at your window and you don't know them. >> Did you think about calling the police? >> Well, I chased them down and now I'm going to go call my insurance. >> Okay. Well, who who were the kids? What do they look like? Were they in a car or >> tan hair? Blue shoes. >> Look at the be right there. On the front of the dashboard on the outside of the car. On the outside of the car. Right there. On the outside of the car. Am I >> looking at it? >> The BB. Am I good to go? >> What BB? I don't see anything. >> Why don't you take the keys out of the car? So, shut it off for me. Put the keys on the dash. How about >> sir? I've got to get home. I have a on my tire. >> You You don't have a tire at all? >> Exactly. Um Do you have any guns in the car? Cuz I see a shotgun shell right there. >> No guns. >> No. No guns in the car? >> Nope. >> Okay. So, I'm not 100% understanding your story. Could you kind of explain from the beginning? >> Sure. I was sitting in the Alleno AA Club and some kids started shooting paintballs and broke the tire on my car. I said, "Excuse me, you guys. What are you doing?" And they ran off. So, now I'm driving home and put a new tire on and I need to get there before my hub. So, they shot off your tire with a with a paintball gun. >> How did the back window get broken? >> Um, because they were just >> Why don't you roll that window back down? >> Sorry. Because they were shooting paintballs. >> Whoa. >> Well, my my other partner's over there. >> Okay. >> Okay. So, paintballs don't break a tire, though. Well, they must have been doing something because it was really really really really >> Why is your hand all buddy? >> Because I was justing >> your what? >> I'm really having a few. >> Okay. >> I could go home. I need >> Let's step out of the road right here. I just wanted to put a tire on my car because it's super >> Yeah, we got a lot going on here. But let's get out of the road cuz I don't want to >> gave you apartments if you know where that is. Right across the street. >> Let's get out of the road later. >> You guys aren't listening to me. >> We're trying. We So all this happened because kids were shooting BB guns at you. >> Well, I was at an AA meeting. >> What time was the AA meeting? um like 8:00 a.m. I was meeting with my sponsor in the parking lot. >> Okay. Do you know what time it is now? >> It was like an hour. So, what time was that? Must have been like 6ish. >> So, you you have a meeting at 8:00 a.m. >> No, it was at 6ish. Sorry, I don't have the time on me. My clock is not calibrated in my car. But I was meeting with my sponsor and went inside to go potty and like adjust my feminine thing. And then I saw some kids shooting at my BB or at my tire. And I yelled out the window. I said, "Excuse me, you guys, that's my car. What are you doing?" And I ran out there to go get them. Didn't get a chance to wash my hands or anything. And then I noticed the tire was like peeled off and the tire completely fell off. >> So is the tire still back at the parking lot of the building or where is the tire? >> The tire fell off somewhere over there. You got Are you trying to search for me or something? >> No, I just because you have blood. I'm just going to put gloves on and I don't know where that blood is from my feminine. >> Sure. You see this? >> This is blood. >> No, it's not. It was near me. >> Do you hear me? >> A whole bag of ravioli and groceries over here. >> Let me see your hand for a second. Can you just show your hand to me? How about the other side? >> This is dirty. >> Okay. >> Smells like like death in there. >> Yeah. I mean, >> I'm sorry. My car is a mess, but you can't really take it off and over. >> You guys are being >> Oh my god. Look up in there. Okay. This is like Did you look up? >> What's up? >> So, what what happened in this corner here? >> Sure. So, I had bags of groceries there. I had some deer meat. I had some ravioli can. I had some veggies. And then those people broke my window, so I had to throw all my groceries away. Let's Let's start 06 and just Yeah. >> What's up? >> So, nobody else was in here today with you, right? >> No. >> Nobody. >> No. >> Okay. >> Why? What's up? >> Well, we're trying to figure it out. There's a lot going on here. That's a lot of blood. >> Blood >> or something. So, we're just going to have you take a seat in one of our squads. You're not going to go in handcuffs, anything, but given the totality of all this, we're going to try to figure out and make sure that >> broken windshield. >> Well, Louis, did you look up? How much blood is in your car? >> It was deer meat. I have a half pound of deer meat. >> Where's the deer now? >> I threw it out. Why would you want it if there was a whole blast? >> Where did you throw it out? >> Somebody's dumpster. That was this morning. >> Yeah. On my way over here. >> What place was it dumped at? >> Um people, it's garbage day today, so I just pulled over and dump some of the >> So Jalissa changes the story now claiming the mess in the trunk is deer meat, not paintballs. She won't budge from the story. And the more she avoids that trunk, the louder the alarm bells get. >> What do you have in your trunk? >> Nothing. >> Nothing in the trunk at all? Nothing. >> There's no deer meat or anything in the trunk? >> No, sir. >> Does anybody else drive your car? >> Just me. Be good at your job. But I also think it would be really beneficial to just give me a ticket and let me go. >> Well, we got one coming here that's in charge of it all. And then he can tell us what we're doing. >> Is he here? I I'm cold and crabby. Please let me go. >> We get it. And we appreciate your patience with us. I know there's a lot going on here. >> Yeah. I mean, what what's going to happen? Like I just want you guys to let me go. >> I know. >> Be nice if I didn't even have to get a ticket. Do you understand? I was just vandalized. Why can't I just, you know, get a police report and be on my way? >> You know, and I hope we can do something like that, you know? >> You're ignoring everything I say. Like I'm asking you, can you give me a ticket? And you're just standing there like looking. >> Well, I've explained before that right now you're not free to leave. We have a super on his way. We'll be here in probably 5 minutes maybe. They'll be able to better guidance on what to do about the things in your car. >> She's done talking and wants to leave, but the detectives aren't having it. A supervisor rolls up, sees what's happening, and steps in to take over the interrogation. >> What's your sponsor's name? >> Alicia. >> Alisa. Sponsor. She keeps pushing for answers, completely unaware that she's the one about to lose control of the situation. >> Two of your back windows shot up. And to me, you see that? You see the back seat right there? >> Yeah. >> It looks like a bullet hole. >> Well, I have a spare tire in my garage. I can't. >> So, right now, all right. I I don't have any. You're not under arrest. You're not being detained, but we're not letting you take your vehicle right now. We're impounding the vehicle. >> Then, in a decision that will soon have devastating consequences, detectives actually let her go. They hold the car, offer her a ride home, and split the team. Some drive her back, others stay to dig through the vehicle. just curious your thoughts on one thing. We have not checked the trunk and I have this terrible feeling about the trunk and I've had it the whole time. Um I don't know if we can peek or if we want to leave it alone or knock and say, "Hey, anyone in there?" But >> I think in my mind we have enough problems. I mean there's this safety measure. We are impounding. >> That's what I'm kind of thinking that has this >> Yeah. All camera up. I say we go for it >> at least peak cuz we might uh who knows. How do you get this guy open on this thing? >> I took him because >> I got him in the >> We had her I thought she was going to leave on us. You see that moment? >> Yep. You got it. >> Back at the scene, detectives make one final call. It's time to open the trunk. None of them know yet, but what's sitting inside that trunk is about to become the single most horrifying discovery of this entire case. Whoa. Uh, what the [ __ ] is that? That might be the deer meat that she took out of the truck. Watch yourself. That gun, we don't know if it's loaded or not. What is this? Yeah. Is it a It looks like a kid playing. Okay. Oh [ __ ] Hey, we need as many body cams up here as we can here. Get some body cams. >> We had to safety check this thing blanket. Watch out. There's a shotgun there. >> There's a shotgun right there aimed at you. >> There's way too. All right, let's cover it. >> Wrapped in a blanket is the body of a young boy without a head. It's a sight that is almost certain to never leave their memory. >> Go grab her. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Right now. >> Baby condos. >> She ran in there, by the way. She booked it when she got out so it doesn't rain. >> Okay. So, we get there. She ran her apartment. She's not going to do that. >> We're going to have to go and get it. We got a body. >> So, we're going in. >> Um I haven't done the toshi yet, but I'll go with >> I'll work on it. >> You go with go with go with you. You want to go get her now? >> Uh for her. >> Get crime lab on the reds. >> Yeah, this is going to >> This is when it hits him. They might have let a very sick mother get away. One team immediately speeds toward the shell station. She mentioned another races back to her apartment. This time not for a chat, but for an arrest. >> POLICE COME TO THE DOOR. POLICE COME TO THE DOOR. OPEN THE DOOR. WE'LL KICK IT DOWN. OPEN THE DOOR. TAKE IT. POLICE OPEN THE DOOR. >> CHECK THAT RIGHT THERE. Check it. >> I got a door here. Check that one. >> POLICE DEPARTMENT. >> WATCH THAT ONE. I'll cover this one. COME WITH YOUR HANDS UP. ANNOUNCE YOURSELF. >> POLICE. Announce yourself. I hear >> let's let's breach it cuz I can hear the shower. >> Yeah. Go ahead. >> POLICE DEPARTMENT. ANNOUNCE YOURSELVES. >> What do we got? Oh, that's this one. >> Police. Show us your hands. do a good secondary search. >> Good secondary search. Now, >> for obvious reasons, Jalissa did not return to her home. So, detectives begin searching the apartment for anything that can explain the horror in the trunk. And in that moment, they're about to uncover another disturbing piece of evidence inside the washing machine. Now on my Patreon, watch the interrogation of a father accused of killing his baby. The detective snaps and starts hitting him on camera. See the full video at patreon.com/strerstories plus. Checking. >> We want to see where cameras have it coming out now. >> How about that junk? >> Yeah, there was a washer going. >> Where's the washer? >> Right here. Kill it. Don't let it drain. The >> washing machine is still running and inside bloody clothes are tumbling around and around. At this point, finding Julysa becomes the investigator's highest priority. Officers know she cannot have gotten far, so they pull the building security footage to reconstruct her movements. The video shows Jalissa leaving the building with an unidentified man just 30 minutes before police arrived. Now there are two urgent questions. Who is this guy? And where did they go? Officers seal off the neighborhood and start tracking their path. Meanwhile, back at the gas station, the other team is hunting for weapons. Anything that could crack this thing open. They look for the kids with paintballs Jalissa described, but of course, there's nothing to find. Neither kids nor signs of a paintball attack. Then a witness comes forward and points them to a nearby dumpster, giving detectives their first real lead. >> Hi. >> Hi, I'm Steve. >> I'm Steve. Nice to meet you. >> Nice to meet you, too. >> Hey, Kayla. >> Steve Sturm. Well, let's have you come right over here. >> Okay. >> I'll type while we talk. >> Okay. All right. My so weird. Like I said, I'm visiting my daughter. Uh-huh. >> Uh, I came up from Florida and she she has a ground floor apartment facing the grass out there. >> Okay. >> And I I'm a night owl, so I was up late reading and the all the apartment lights were off. Just my iPad was on. And suddenly I saw she's got two windows. >> Uhhuh. >> Like white curtains, you know. So I'd see >> lights going really fast and and they're all going across the cabinets >> and they're really fast. And I'm like, this is weird. I mean, we I've never seen anything. I've been here for three three weeks that it's not a roller. >> Detectives start pulling trash bags, checking every dumpster in the area. What they find next is a trail of deeply disturbing evidence around the little boy's final moments. >> And then she said that somebody else came in through here. >> Okay. All right. >> Yeah. He's [ __ ] sitting when they [ __ ] Christ. >> I'm so pissed. Yeah. In one dumpster, a child's booster seat is found, soaked in blood and blown apart by a shotgun blast. The kind of seat the parent straps their kid into to keep him safe. In another, a backpack stained red with bone fragments inside. And in the third dumpster, they find something even more heartbreaking. His kindergarten homework. a reminder that just days ago, this little boy was sitting in a classroom learning his letters, unaware what was about to happen to him. Inside the backpack is a school ID identifying 6-year-old Eli Hart with his mother, Julysa's name printed right underneath it. While one team processes the dumpster, another is still tracking Jalissa and the man seen leaving with her. Just a few minutes later, officers locate the pair and they're taken into custody. >> GET YOUR HANDS UP. HANDS UP. GET ON THE GROUND. GET ON THE GROUND. ON THE GROUND. LAY ON THE GROUND. >> Right now. Looks like the male's prone with the other squad. >> 43. He's got the one gun point. O2's down here to the right. YOU GO TO THE RIGHT. YOU TAKE HIM. >> Oh no. What the [ __ ] is going on? Seriously? >> You'll be explained to it at the police department. You're being detained right now. >> For what? >> Put him in there for now. >> For what? They're just walking down THE STREET. WHO'S [ __ ] DOING? >> UH-HUH. OKAY. YEAH. If you want to throw him back to my squad. >> Now, finally, detectives get their shot at the truth. And what's coming next is the conversation that is going to lead to a coldest secret. >> You're being held and arrested for suspicion of being involved in a homicide. >> And what homicide would that be? Cuz that's ridiculous. >> Well, that's what I think we have to uh we have to talk about a few things here. >> Sure. >> Could you tell me like what what you think I did and who is this person? And if you could answer those two questions, that would be awesome. >> Okay. Well, I think we can get around to that. >> No, no. Like I want those questions answered before we go forward. >> Well, where I kind of want to start is I kind of want to start at where we had contact with you this morning when you first met me. >> Yeah, that was when you guys arrested your baby. >> Yeah. What happened with that? Like >> um you didn't answer my question. >> There are two questions detectives need answered. What happened between 1000 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.? And how did her own car turn into a crime scene? What do you think was found in the trunk of that vehicle? >> I'm not sure what was in there. >> I think you know. >> I don't. Well, can you tell me what it was? Then I maybe I'll know why I'm here. >> There's a dead body in the trunk of that car. A dead juvenile body. >> Really? Who was it? >> That's what I can't answer right now. That's why I'm here talking to you right now. >> The reason why we don't know who it was is because the head was missing. >> What? >> In my car. When I talked to you earlier, you had told me that you had that car and you were doing Instacart from 10:00 p.m. till 6:00 a.m. and then you went to the alcohol. >> Jalissa denies everything, claiming that she has no idea about a body or blood in her car. She asks for a lawyer, but then keeps right on talking. Anyway, >> today I was assaulted by somebody and they broke my pretty much wrist. pulled on it and they I have a really long history with my ex. Um even like the mess coming up. I just have to stop you, okay? Cuz a minute ago, >> a minute a minute ago, you stated you wanted to talk to an attorney. >> Tell you about my ex. >> A minute ago, you stated you wanted to speak with an attorney and I can't answer can't answer any questions after that. I mean, are you stating that you still you still want to speak with us? I mean, >> yeah, I guess. I mean, I'm just telling you a few things after the fact >> if I tell you. >> So, having your the rights in mind that I had read to you that you stated that you understood, right? Your Miranda warning rights. Do you need me to reread those to you or anything? >> Um, no. >> Okay. You understand each of them? >> Yeah. >> Okay. And then you still you still want to speak with us? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Um, what do I have to be able to do? Is there anything I can do to maybe be let out? Like if I can give you like a name of somebody who it could have been, then would you maybe be able to like let me out? >> Here's my question. You've already you were told that there's a young juvenile body found in the trunk of the car that you were driving, right? >> All right. >> Scary. >> How did that body get there? Officers bring up Eli's name, trying to confirm the body in the trunk is her son. >> I mean, that's somebody's little boy. Do you have any kids? >> I have a son. >> You have a son? How old is your son? >> Um, six. >> Six years old. >> Yeah. >> What's your son's name? >> Eli. >> Does Eli live with you? >> He does, but he was with my boyfriend. >> Where was Eli today? Cuz I mean, you know, we were at your apartment earlier. >> He's with my boyfriend. Who's your boyfriend? >> Uh, Rob. >> Rob. Okay. How long you been dating Rob? >> Um, a few months. >> Where's Eli with Rob? >> Um, I'm guessing you took him to 30 seconds. >> Do you have a phone number for Rob? >> Um, no. >> As the pressure builds, Jalissa increasingly gets restless and wants to leave the room. >> Can I go home and check on my baby and check on my house and everything? Well, I thought you said Eli was with Rob. >> Yeah, I need to go home. I need to find my phone. You guys took my car that had my phone. I have my right now. Right now, I know that there's nobody at your house. I know that. >> Would I be able to go home? Can you release me? >> I need to I need to paint this picture. >> Okay. So, maybe you can ask me questions, but I don't want to be under arrest. I didn't do anything. >> Well, the questions I'm asking are are we're trying to figure out. So, let's let's start asking some questions then. >> Okay. Actually, can I have a lawyer then if you're not going to let me go home? >> You want to speak to the lawyer tonight? >> Yes. >> She realizes this room isn't opening until she talks. So, she starts talking and what comes out is nothing anyone expected. >> Okay. Well, can I tell you guys something off the record then? >> I hope everybody tell you guys something off the record. >> Everything's on the record. >> So, we we can stay off the record. So, I'm kind of angry right now because my ex involved me in some pretty horrible stuff. And um um I have like multiple restraining orders against him. And you guys can even tell every um threat in the restraining order. There's bomb threats, gun threats, shotgun threats, murder threats, and so I can prove that he's like capable of doing that in those restraining orders. Um he's he's violated the order of protection. Actually, I think I was just here like two weeks ago because of my house was broken into two weeks ago. And then occasionally because when I first got that order of protection, he was a mess dealer and I snitched on him cuz I wanted to leave. I wanted me and my baby to be safe. And so I snitched on him and the police did a complete raid of the house. arrested a few of his friends, went to the higher up measel and started arresting them. And then I got really scared cuz then they found out I snitched and it's been really bad for me ever since. I get harassed everywhere I go. Like if I go to the cities, they harass me there. If I'm ever around like the math community, they know my face, they know my name. Um, and Tori has like a really really long history of I mean a really really like big friend group of like meth smokers and all of them are really really possessive over my child and I've tried to protect my child from Tori and everything he does cuz there's like drugs and he steals stuff and all these big measures like know who he is. And occasionally here and there they reach out to me in the community and they'll be like, "Hey." They'll try to say something super threatening and I'm just sitting there scared like, "Oh, great." >> She points the finger at her ex-husband, Tori Hart, Eli's biological father, calling him abusive, describing a brutal custody battle. Eli had only been back in her care for 10 days before he was killed. But detectives don't care about Tori right now. They want to know what happened after midnight. And her answer catches everyone offguard. What time? >> Um would be like midnight. I was around the area just looking for grocery stores and some of um my baby daddy's masculinity guys reached out to me. [snorts] I stepped out of the car, started smoking a cigarette with them and then they got really really mad at me. >> Where did this happen at? >> Uh over by like Minneapolis. And then they got really really mad at me. And they said, "Torri's been my baby daddy." They said, "He's been really, really mad." I said, "Well, I'm sorry. It's not my fault. I don't know you guys anymore. I don't associate with you guys anymore. If you can please just leave us alone." And then they were threatening me and then they pushed me up against the car and assaulted me. So, I got in my car and the rest I need a lawyer for. >> Now, she claims Tori sent methheads to attack her, trying to hand detectives someone else to chase. But the second they ask where this supposed attack happened, the story collapses. Then she adds one more twist. >> When we stopped, you had like that one flat tire. >> Was that something that was related to the assault? >> Yeah, they were the people who stabbed a hole in my tree. >> Um, a few minutes. >> And did you get um how did it come to an end? Um, I guess he was done. >> He was done assaulting you? >> Yeah. >> Were you badly hurt? >> I mean, yeah. I mean, he used a condom, but it was fine. >> So, it was a sexual assault. >> Yeah. >> I left there for a reason. >> Come in and tell me that this morning. >> Do you know who they are? I have an order of protection. at court 2 days ago for order of protection. Here he is still doing >> on the police. I'm the one that you know arrest people for violations of order for protection. >> That would be awesome. But he's just gave every order of protection violation ever. >> Out of nowhere, she claims she was assaulted. Again, pointing the blame at Tori. Still, there's no explanation for the body in her trunk. Detectives let her keep talking, hoping it'll finally add up. Instead, she says something that leaves the whole room speechless. >> First off, I think I think we should cover your assault a little bit more. >> If there's I >> held a gun to my head. >> There's a gun now. >> Now, >> you hadn't mentioned the gun before. You said that there was a knife involved. He said there I would have ran >> with right now is I'm struggling to figure out how that connects to today and how this morning I had you know a conversation with you know Jalissa on the street after a after a simple traffic stop. >> She's still dodging the one question that matters. How did her son end up dead in her car and still blaming Tori for the assault? But detectives now have evidence that could challenge her entire story. A witness near the dumpsters says they saw a car speeding toward Lake Minnotonka about 1:30 a.m. Detectives pull the apartment complex CCTV and it confirms exactly what they feared. At 11:22 p.m., Jalissa is seen walking out of the garage and gently placing Eli in the backseat of her car. Now armed with the footage, detectives head back in to confront her face to face. >> How we got to here? You guys should have known, right? You guys stopped me on the side of the street. I'm babbling all scared like I had just been and you guys didn't even notice. And you asked me why my windows broken and there's a rim missing off my tire. And you guys didn't even bother to ask me if I was okay. >> Sure, we did. That's the first thing that Officer Web Bush asked you. He asked you if everything was okay right now. He talked to you for four or five minutes. Good officer would be able to look at somebody's eye and tell like are they really okay or are they just >> telling you they're okay? >> We have >> we have a really good idea of who that little boy is in the trunk and you do too. We know things and we wanted to come in here and at least give you we wanted to come in here and at least give you the opportunity to be honest to help yourself and you couldn't do it. Jose spent um all day gathering evidence video surveillance from every business in the area. >> Okay. >> We spent um the whole day with forensics. We've analyzed things. There's things that we know like you're at the Shell gas station. We know that. We know what you did there. We know that because we have video. So, this is your time. It's this person with blood and tissue matter and more blood and more tissue matter and mud and water. [clears throat] >> What do you mean blood and tissue matter? >> This is your time to talk. >> What does that mean? blood into water. >> I think you have an idea what it means and this is your opportunity to be honest with us. >> I was just honest with you and you're you're not listening to anything I'm saying. I just gave you the the information of these people who are harassing me. >> A generic a generic person in the meth community. That's what I'm supposed to go on. I'm supposed to help this little this little dead child community. >> This dead child in a trunk. Your son has body parts, skull, brains of of your son in the back seat. The back window shot out and your son is dead in the trunk. >> How do you know? >> You tell me what that looks like. >> In another dumpster. There's pieces of it. A backpack with his name on it. >> So, cut the crap. >> With surveillance video, >> multiple witnesses that see you. What witnesses? >> Pages of witnesses that called today. What's just broke the news? >> Pages. You uh you stand out. >> I stand out. >> The battery on my phone is almost dead from as many phone calls as I've talked to and made today. >> Okay. Well, >> your story about you going to Minneapolis, we know that's not true. It's because we have you on video. >> I have multiple >> We have you on video. >> Okay. I don't appreciate you guys. 11:23 p.m. >> I really need a lawyer because I'm not the person who did this. >> She'd sworn she left the apartment alone at 10 p.m. The footage tells a completely different story and detectives make sure she knows it. >> Why would you accuse me of lying? Don't you guys think a would be really beneficial right now? >> Are we still talking about she still talking? She's just talking. >> He just stopped talking to me. He accused me of lying about >> Well, um Julie, how am I? because you said that you were you left by yourself and we have you leaving your apartment with your son at 11:23 p.m. >> I'm aware. >> Where's where's your son now? >> Um I'm not sure. They took him. >> Detectives have exactly what they need. On May 21st, 2022, Jalissa Thaylor is placed under arrest for murder. >> You're here and arrested and um will be booked and charged with murder. >> What? Um, you were the last person to be seen with your son. >> That's not true. I just told you. >> You have blood splatter that we collected from your hair, your body. >> I just told you all over your car. >> Are you listening to me? I just told you I was >> He was found in the trunk of your car along with the weapon that is forensically examined and is probably going to have some evidence that may connect you. So, you're here. >> You're charged with murder and you're going to be booked at the Hen County jail. >> Detectives next turn to Rob Gyllis's boyfriend. The man caught on camera leaving with her that night. >> Eli, um, did you ever see him? Did he have like a school backpack? >> I don't know. Like, you never did you ever see him going to school? You guys dropped him off the one day. Did he Does he have a backpack that he goes to school with? Does he have a lunch box? So that see him wrapped up dead. So, what do you think? >> I think he killed him. >> Why do you think that? >> I don't know. >> But I know it wasn't me. I was sitting on it. I put everything in a lot of nice subs. >> No, you just said you think she killed him. >> I don't know why. I don't know what for what was the motive. What's this? What's that? What's it? Was it Was he in the car? Was he in the clue? What? I don't know. >> Then Rob says something that could finally answer the one question. detectives have been chasing this whole time. Why did this happen? >> Unless there wasn't insurance involved money, you guarantee there was. >> You guarant You guarantee there was? >> There could have been any. Yeah, I didn't think that. >> Detectives are convinced Rob's involved somehow. He keeps denying it. >> No, it wasn't me. I was sleeping all night that night. It's fine when I went to bed. Didn't make sense. doesn't make sense to my head right now. I'm thinking I went to bed she was arguing with him and then that's about it. I don't know nothing else after that 8:45 in the morning. [snorts] What are you going to say when we tell you that? We already told you that. She said you got the shotgun. You bought it. >> You didn't. >> No, I didn't. No, I didn't. No, I didn't. I did not. I did not. I did not get the shotgun. He got it. >> Just I'm just We're just talking now. Okay. >> She got a shotgun, not me. >> I know. But we kind of already said she's kind of pointing the fingers at other people. What? What? What? What? [snorts] How can you help yourself? How can you help yourself? How can you prove? >> I didn't see my phone. I can do something. >> How can you prove that when she says, "We planned this. He knows all about it." >> I don't know what you're talking about. What is the plan of what? >> How can you help yourself get out of that, >> Rob? We in anything that >> I'm confused, man. I don't get this [ __ ] In anything that we deal with, when somebody tells us one thing, what do we do? We investigate. >> What plan? What are you talking about? >> So, what Brad is saying is, what proves to us that you didn't do this? >> But he drops another detail, one that could help detectives nail down exactly who pulled the trigger. >> She did something. >> She killed him. I know she did. >> How do you know it? >> I just know she did. I just know. I know for a fact she did. >> How? I know for a fact she did. >> How? >> Because I just do. >> Cuz what? >> I just do. I just I just know. >> You can't. That's not >> the only person that [clears throat] that had a gun. >> Only person. >> You can't say I know for a fact. >> She the only one that had access that gun, not me. I didn't know where it was. She put it away in storage or something. She said she did. And she pulled out the same night that he dies. That's pretty [ __ ] up. >> You think so? >> When you guys would get done shooting, she would put the gun away somewhere that you didn't know. >> Yeah. It wouldn't stay in the car. >> No. >> It would come into the apartment. >> No. >> And then she put it somewhere in the apartment. >> Um I'm just saying we we we know that you didn't leave Thursday. >> Let me tell you something. My hand's not been on that gun. >> Detectives play their hand telling Rob that Jalissa already confessed. A classic move to see if he cracks. >> You need to help us when she's saying pointing the finger at you for a lot of this. >> No, he's not. No, it's not. No, it's not. >> How? Help us. >> She was not talking to you for days. She was just >> When she says she He knew that this was going to happen. He knew this was the plan. >> No, I didn't. >> How do we How do we prove that, though? >> What plan? What plan? I didn't know nothing. >> The plan to kill Eli. >> I didn't know the plan. >> How do we [ __ ] >> How do we prove that? >> I thought boyfriend. That's what I thought. >> How do we prove that when she's pointing a finger at [clears throat] him, at you, and everybody but herself? I don't know. >> How do we prove that? That's what we're trying to get to cuz she's pointing a lot of fingers at other people. [clears throat] >> He doesn't budge, sticking to his story. And somehow, despite being right in the middle of all this, he manages to convince them he's innocent. The autopsy comes back confirming it's Eli. He was shot roughly nine times, likely while still strapped into his car seat. Investigators also learned something else about this little boy. He was born deaf. Jalissa's reaction to all this is cold and detached. Almost nothing at all. So, detectives bring her in one more time. And this time, they're not asking questions. They're laying out the truth. >> Eli's death for him. We're here to get answers for him. >> We think an important person in the world. >> We think he deserves it. >> He deserves everything. He's not actually Like, how do you know? >> You know, he is. >> How do you know? You You're making assumptions. How do you know that? I know. >> That a little boyfriend. >> Yeah, that's Eli. Eli, >> you confirmed? Did you confirm it? >> See why in the trunk of your car? He's such a good person. You confirmed it. Are you sure? Are you sure? >> That's a dumpster. >> That's a dumpster. You know exactly what that is. >> I don't. >> And you know exactly what that is. >> So, you confirmed it's my baby boy. Even now with everything on the table, she's already building her next excuse. >> I don't want him to be involved at all in whatever they're doing. But you confirmed it's 100% my baby boy. >> Am I getting an answer from you? Yes or no? That's kind of important. >> Yeah, that's your life. >> Say yes. >> What is that? >> You tell me. >> I don't know. Don't you tell me. >> That's Eli's booster seat from your car. >> Did you find the people who did this? Was it DNA on me? Used a condom, but I know that there's other ways of finding out. >> We're here talking about your dead son. >> And I'm here telling you who did it, but I didn't know he was dead. You're telling me my baby boy is dead? Detectives show her the photographic evidence and her response is to try to play the grieving concerned mother. [clears throat] This dumpster is where we recovered a lot of his a lot of his head brain tissue. This is the same dumpster that we have witnesses. That's uh this car with no tire and a broken up window describing you dumping all this stuff in. >> Do you have any witnesses with the >> She never confesses, not once. But her own cell phone puts her right at Lake Minnetonka Park with Eli that night. Investigators believe she drove him there, strapped him into his own safety seat, and shot him nine times. Eli's murder rocks the community. But dig into his short life, and there's even a darker layer to this story. The system may have seen this coming. Dakota County Social Services had gotten multiple warnings about Julysa's drug addiction. The same addiction linked to Eli being born with Towns Brock syndrome and permanent hearing loss. 3 days before the murder on May 17th, Jalissa buys a shotgun and ammunition. And buried in her internet history, investigators find searches that are hard to read as anything but a motive taking shape, like most expensive life insurance for a child. Can you take out multiple policies on somebody? And how much does life insurance pay for a dead child? On February 16th, 2023, Jalissa Thaylor is sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Before the hearing wraps, she finally speaks in court for the first time. Eli's father, Tory Hart, later settles a wrongful death lawsuit against Dakota County for more than $2 million. But the real question still hangs over this case. How many warning signs did the system miss? And could Eli Hart still be alive today? Thanks for watching. If you want ad free videos and exclusive content you won't find on YouTube, join my Patreon. You can also check out the Stranger Stories merch if you'd like to support the channel and pick up something for yourself at the same time. Both are linked in the description below. 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