First Watch: Twisted Trial of Bionca Ellis: Pleads INSANITY after Murdering Toddler

Summary

Crime House Daily – First Watch: Twisted Trial of Bianca Ellis: Pleads INSANITY after Murdering Toddler
Date: October 13, 2025
Host: Katie Ring

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Episode Overview

Today's First Watch episode dives into two headline-grabbing cases:

1. The ongoing trial of Bianca Ellis in Cleveland, Ohio, who is accused of the random and brutal murder of 3-year-old Julian Wood and has entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.
2. The case of Gonzalo Leon Jr. in Houston, Texas, facing murder charges for fatally shooting 11-year-old Julian Guzman after a "ding dong ditch" prank.

Host Katie Ring provides key background on both stories, current legal developments, and analysis of the challenges facing the courts, families, and communities touched by these crimes.

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Case 1: The Twisted Trial of Bianca Ellis

Timestamps: 00:44 – 12:04

Case Summary & Timeline

• Incident (06/03/2024):

  • In the parking lot of the North Olmsted Giant Eagle, Cleveland, Bianca Ellis allegedly stabbed 3-year-old Julian Wood and his mother, Margot Wood, in an apparently random attack ([04:47]).
  • Julian, called "Juju" by loved ones, died from his injuries; Margot survived.

• Investigation & Arrest:

  • Ellis was found nearby by police, still carrying the kitchen knife.
  • No apparent motive; "Bianca had no prior interactions with Margot and Julian and there hadn’t been any conflict inside the store" ([05:50]).
  • Ellis had minor prior convictions (non-violent).

Key Developments

• Court Appearances:

  • At arraignment, Ellis appeared unresponsive and confused.
  • Judge Nancy Margaret Russo read the indictment aloud when Ellis declined to acknowledge it ([07:40]).
  • Her public defender mentioned possible mental health issues and questions about medication.

• Competency Hearings:

  • On July 16, 2024, Ellis was ordered to undergo a forensic psychiatric evaluation ([08:56]).
  • Initially found not competent to stand trial but with potential for restoration.
  • By February 3, 2025, she was deemed competent after treatment ([12:04]).

Legal Strategy

• Insanity Plea:
  • Defense shifts plea to not guilty by reason of insanity, focusing on Ellis’s mental state during the crime, not her understanding of trial proceedings ([12:04]).
  • Katie Ring clarifies:

    “Competency is all about whether a defendant understands what’s going on at their trial, while insanity tackles what their state of mind was during the crime itself.” ([12:26])

Community & Victim Impact

• Mural painted honoring Julian — a green dinosaur, his favorite — on a building near the crime scene ([06:58]).
• Katie Ring emphasizes the “completely random” and “brutal” nature of the crime, noting its impact on community safety sentiments.

Notable Moments & Quotes

• Katie Ring (on the shock):

  "What happened in that Cleveland parking lot shocked the entire nation. Not just for its brutality, but because it appeared to be completely random." ([01:18])

• On mental illness and trial process:

  "Something isn’t right with Bianca. So when she comes back to court... the state requests to have her sent to a forensic psychiatrist." ([08:56])

Next Steps

• Trial is actively underway as of this episode.
• Host promises ongoing updates as the trial unfolds, especially regarding the outcome of the insanity defense.

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Case 2: Gonzalo Leon Jr. & the "Ding Dong Ditch" Shooting

Timestamps: 12:04 – 23:56

Case Summary & Timeline

• Incident (08/30/2025):
  • 11-year-old Julian Guzman and his cousin played “ding dong ditch” at Gonzalo Leon Jr.’s home in Houston, Texas ([12:04]).
  • After repeated doorbell pranks, Leon allegedly waited with a pistol, chased the boys, fired a warning shot, then shot Julian in the back. Julian died the next day ([13:47]).

Case Developments

• Initial questioning of Leon, but he wasn’t arrested immediately; police later arrest him three days post-shooting at a La Quinta hotel with 20 guns found at his home ([19:02]).

• Leon indicted on first-degree murder, injury to a child, and aggravated assault charges.

  • “These last two charges have been a point of contention... since these charges require less evidence for a conviction than murder” ([19:16]).

• Bond Issues:

  • Defense challenged bond, citing misinformation about Leon’s record, but judge stood firm ([19:38]).

• Evidentiary Disputes:

  • Defense alleges evidence (body cam, cell phone footage) still outstanding.
  • Dispute over legality of phone seizure; judge will not rule on returning phone ([19:51]).

• Trial Timeline:

  • Leon demands speedy trial; proceedings and discovery are moving rapidly, with next hearing set for October 21 ([21:35]).

Notable Moments & Quotes

• On escalating from prank to tragedy:

  “[Julian] falls to the ground crying in pain and calls out for help, saying he can’t move. His cousin thinks Julian’s been paralyzed so he starts to drag him away... the shooter... walks back into his house.” ([14:21])

• Katie Ring (on legal complexity):

  "This case may seem cut and dry, but as you can see, with all of the legal wrangling... there should be a lot more information coming out." ([22:34])

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Additional Updates

• Tinder Swindler Update:
  Quick update on Simon Leviev (the "Tinder Swindler")’s latest arrest and pending Night Watch deep dive ([04:47]).

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Memorable Quotes

• Katie Ring on judicial prudence:

  "We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law." ([01:58])

• On the disturbing randomness of crime:

  “It was supposed to be a quick trip to the grocery store, a mom, her son and a cart full of groceries. But within moments of stepping outside, their world was torn apart...” ([01:18])

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Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------| | 00:44 | News update: Bianca Ellis arraignment and charges| | 04:47 | Start of in-depth coverage of Cleveland case | | 12:04 | Legal analysis: competency and insanity pleas | | 13:47 | Houston case introduction: shooting after prank | | 19:02 | Arrest, indictment, and bond issues on Leon case | | 21:35 | Evidence debate and speedy trial demands | | 22:34 | Host commentary on legal wrangling |

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Tone

Katie Ring maintains a somber, analytical, and compassionate tone throughout, providing context, emphasizing the legal process, and reflecting on the unpredictable tragedy of these cases.

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Conclusion

Today's Crime House Daily First Watch delivers rich updates on two major cases, with insightful breakdowns of the law, empathy for victims, and commitment to staying current with each story’s fast-moving developments. Katie Ring ensures listeners are well-informed, keeping a sharp focus on facts, process, and the pursuit of justice.

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“You stay curious, and I’ll stay on the case. See you next time.” – Katie Ring ([23:54])

Transcript

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[News Reporter]

New developments in the case against Bianca Ellis, the woman accused of killing 3 year old Julian Wood. Court documents show her attorneys have filed a motion asking to change her plea to not guilty by reasons of insanity.

She was seen smirking at the cameras at her arraignment. Her bail was set at $5 million and according to police, she not only stabbed the child, but also stabbed the child's mother.

Julian died from his injuries. His mother survived. Ellis was previously ruled competent to stand trial after receiving mental health treatment.

[Katie Ring]

It was supposed to be a quick trip to the grocery store, a mom, her son and a cart full of groceries. But within moments of stepping outside, their world was torn apart when a woman approached them. What happened in that Cleveland parking lot shocked the entire nation. Not just for its brutality, but because it appeared to be completely random. Hi, I'm Katie Ring, a true crime analyst, self defense instructor and fierce advocate for victims. And this is Crime House Daily, your essential true crime companion. Every weekday morning and night here at Crime House Daily, we dig into the true crime stories making headlines right now, where justice is unfolding, arrests are happening and new evidence is emerging. Every morning, First Watch gets you up to speed on the biggest cases. Every night, Nightwatch takes you deeper. If you want to follow a case from the first 911 call to the final verdict, this is the place for you. Follow Crime House Daily. Wherever you get your podcasts, leave a Review and for ad free listening, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. For a video, check out our YouTube @Crime House Daily. This episode discusses active criminal cases and breaking news. The information we share is based on what's publicly available at the time of recording and may change as new evidence comes to light. We aim to inform, not to decide guilt or innocence. So everyone mentioned is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Today we're covering two major cases in the news. The first case takes us to Cleveland, Ohio where a trial of a 32 year old Bianca Ellis is underway. She's accused of stabbing 3 year old Julian Wood to death in the grocery store parking lot and her mental competency has been in question for months. Now she's facing aggravated murder charges in a trial that's playing out as we speak. The second case turns to Houston, Texas, where 42 year old Gonzalo Leon Jr. Stands accused of shooting and killing 11 year old Julian Guzman after the boy and his cousin played a ding dong ditch prank at his doorstep. He's now facing first degree murder along with other charges and has demanded a speedy trial, which means new developments are happening quickly. I cover some horrendous true crime stories.

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[Katie Ring]

Before we get into today's cases, I want to talk about a case that's made its way back to the spotlight, and it's the Tinder Swindler. Simon Leviev, better known to many as the Tinder Swindler, who even had his own Netflix documentary, was arrested again on September 14 in the country of Georgia after being tied to new fraud allegations. He built his notoriety by posing as a wealthy heir and scamming women, persuading them to lend him money under false pretenses. This time, he's accused of defrauding a woman out of more than $52,000, including unauthorized charges tied to hotel and travel expenses. A Georgian court has remanded him in custody for up to three months as extradition requests are sorted. Later this month, we'll have a whole Night Watch episode unpacking the Tinder Swindler's new charges and insane backstory, so be sure to check it out. Today's first case takes place in the parking lot of the North Olmsted Giant Eagle, a grocery store in the Western suburbs of Cleveland. On A Monday afternoon, June 3, 2024, Bianca Ellis walked up to a woman pushing a shopping cart and murdered her toddler sitting in the cart basket in front of her. Her trial started with opening statements just last week on October 6, but there was no guarantee the proceedings would get this far because there was a lot of uncertainty over Bianca's mental competency to stand trial. And before we talk about where her case currently stands, let's go back to the very beginning. On the afternoon of June 3, 2024, 38 year old Margot Wood is out shopping with her 3 year old son Julian, affectionately nicknamed Juju. Those who know him say Julian was an incredible kid. According to his family, they loved his laugh, his cheesy smile and his rambunctious attitude. Julian loved dinosaurs, going to school, doting on his new baby sister and wrestling with his older brother. And in one terrible, tragic moment, it was all ripped away. Margot and Julian head out to the grocery store and she stops a cart by the car. While Margot is busy opening the trunk, a 32 year old woman named Bianca Ellis comes out of nowhere and allegedly stabs Julian. Margot reacts quickly, grabbing Julian out of the car and then in the process, Bianca allegedly stabs her as well. Several witnesses see the attack and call 911. As Bianca walks away, first responders descend on the scene While paramedics rush Margot and Julian to the hospital. Police find Bianca walking down a nearby road, still carrying the kitchen knife she used in the attack. She's arrested without putting up any resistance and is taken into custody. And while Margot recovers from the attack, her son Julian is beyond help and he dies from his injuries. While his family mourns, the local police get to work solving his murder. They start investigating and come to believe this was a random attack. Bianca had no prior interactions with Margot and Julian and there hadn't been any conflict inside the store. Surveillance cameras recorded Bianca wandering around the store waving her knife, which she allegedly had stolen from another shop nearby. Then something about Margot and Julian grabs her attention and she follows him out to their car. Even stranger, Bianca doesn't have a history of violence. Before this case, Bianca had been charged with stealing from Walmart in 2023, and that was it. Even then, she was only convicted of a reduced charge of unauthorized use of property, and she had been arrested for breaking her probation on that case the week before the Golden Eagle incident. But she didn't have any known violent criminal history. But something allegedly drove her to violence that day and the authorities charged Bianca with eight offenses including one count of aggravated murder due to Julian being a child. She remains in custody on a $5 million bond as the case against her proceeds. Meanwhile, Julian Wood is buried on June 8, 2024. A couple months later, to celebrate his life, the community works with a local artist to paint a mural on the side of a building across from where Julian lost his life. It's a big green dinosaur in honor of things Julian loved. Two days after Julian's funeral, Bianca's arraignment is held in court. Her lawyers originally enter a not guilty plea, but their strategy quickly changes. Bianca appears via video call while Judge Nancy Margaret Russo asks her a series of questions. Bianca keeps her head down and mostly fails to respond. When she does answer, it's unclear whether she wants to cooperate or. Or even knows how to. She answers questions with questions of her own and asks for clarifications. Eventually, her lawyers point out that they're dealing with some mental health issues and mention the fact that she might be off her medication. But they don't mention what that medication was. Eventually, Judge Russo decides that Bianca needs to be physically brought to the courtroom. But it's a struggle to get through the proceedings. When Judge Russo asks her questions and Bianca opens her eyes wide and she whispers, she says she doesn't know if her indictment has been read to her. She didn't read it herself. She didn't want to read it, and she asked the public defender not to read it to her. To put it plainly, she doesn't want to hear what she's done, but she has to. So to keep the process moving along, the judge decides to read the indictment in open court. It's pretty clear that whatever is happening here, something isn't right with Bianca. So when she comes back to court on July 16, 2024, the state requests to have her sent to a forensic psychiatrist so they can determine if she is even competent to stand trial.

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[Katie Ring]

On July 16, 2024, prosecutors for the state of Ohio asked for Bianca Ellis competency to be evaluated before she goes on trial for the murder of three year old Julian Wood. Having the competency to stand trial means that someone has the ability to do two things communicate effectively with their legal team and fully comprehend their surroundings. They must be able to understand that they're in court defending themselves from criminal charges in front of a judge and possibly a jury, and they must be able to participate and aid in their own defense. The standard is pretty lenient and will usually be met except in cases of serious mental illness. But the prosecution thinks they might be dealing with that here. And it's important to know what the ruling will be as soon as possible. Because if a defendant is deemed to have been incompetent during trial, the case could be dismissed and charges would have to be refiled. Nobody wants to go through that. So the defense doesn't object to the motion and it's granted. As requested, Bianca goes through a 20 day evaluation and her doctor determines that she is not competent to stand trial, at least not at the moment. However, there is a one year limit on whether she could be restored to competency in time to still go on trial. And the doctor thinks she could get Bianca on the treatment she needs to be ready by then. So Bianca goes back for more treatment and on February 3, a little under seven months after Julian Wood was murdered, Bianca's doctor reports that she's competent to stand trial. A doctor's report dated February 3rd recommends that Bianca can now participate in the trial and could understand the nature and objectives of the proceedings that she faces. And on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, the judge ruled that the case can proceed. Now Bianca's lawyers plan to argue that she is not guilty by reason of insanity. Without getting too deep in the weeds here, there are some key differences between competent to stand trial and the insanity plea. Competency is all about whether a defendant understands what's going on at their trial, while insanity tackles what their state of mind was during the crime itself to see if they understand the difference between right and wrong when it comes to their actions. So that means Bianca's lawyers aren't necessarily trying to challenge that she killed Julian Wood. Instead, they'll try to argue that she didn't understand what she was really doing to him. We'll see how that strategy plays out, and we should know soon because as I mentioned at the top, opening arguments were last week and this trial is happening right now. We're keeping a close eye on this one. We'll be watching for any news and bring you all of the major updates. For today's second case, we're covering 42 year old Gonzalo Leon Jr. A man who was accused of shooting and killing an 11 year old boy who played a prank on him. On the evening of August 30, 2025, 11 year old Julian Guzman went to a family member's birthday party on the east side of Houston, Texas. He and his cousin got bored and decided to play ding dong ditch in the nearby Galena park neighborhood. In case you're not familiar with this time honored prank, it involves ringing someone's doorbell and running away before they answer. And around 11pm that night, Julian and his cousin knock on Gonzalo Leon Jr's door and run away in true childish fashion. They make sure to do it several times. Three times over the course of 15 minutes to be exact. After all, the point is to annoy someone and reportedly Gonzalo, an Army veteran with experience in the Texas National Guard, is very annoyed by the repeated interruptions. At the time. He's at home with his wife and toddler aged daughter and he allegedly decides to do something about it the final time. The boys knock. They see a man come out of the gate as they run away. He'd been waiting in the shadows around the side of his house to dressed in all black and carrying a pistol. If he didn't know that it was just a couple of kids ringing his doorbell, he likely does now. But that doesn't stop him. He follows the kids out and stands near a stop sign next to the house. Then he shoots a single round into the ground before he lifts the gun and fires another. This time he aimed towards the boys. The second shot hits Julian in the back. He falls to the ground crying in pain and calls out for help saying he can't move. His cousin thinks Julian's been paralyzed so he starts to drag him away. One of the neighbors sees this and runs over to help. At the same time, the shooter, who is presumed to be Gonzalo, walks back into his house. When the police arrive at the crime scene, Julian is transported to a local hospital. Tragically, his wounds are too severe and he dies the next day. Meanwhile, Houston homicide detectives detained and questioned Gonzalo Leon Jr. At home, but that night they let him go. However, the police aren't done with him yet.

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[Katie Ring]

After 11 year old Julian Guzman is fatally shot on the night of August 30, 2025, news quickly breaks that he was attacked after playing ding dong ditch at the home of Gonzalo Leon Jr. And although police let him remain free after they initially questioned him, Gonzalo is their main suspect. On September 2, 2025, three days after the shooting, a SWAT team arrests him at a La Quinta Hotel in La Porte, Texas, about 20 miles from his home in Houston. Since then, he has been held in the Harris County Jail. After the arrest, the police search Gonzalo's house and find approximately 20 guns. He has pistols, shotguns and at least four AR style rifles. On September 19th, just three weeks after Julian died, Gonzalo is indicted on a charge of first degree murder by a Harris county grand jury. Later on, he's also charged with injury to a child and aggravated a assault. These last two charges have been a point of contention. One of Gonzalo's attorneys has accused the prosecution of hedging their bets since these charges require less evidence for a conviction than murder. And that's just one of the several issues that have come up. A couple days before Gonzalo was indicted, his lawyers asked the judge to reduce his bond amount because it was set after the court allegedly received incorrect information. The prosecution claimed that Gonzalo had a prior charge in Guadalupe County, Texas, where he was arrested for an alleged terroristic threat against his sister in 2019. They said she claimed he threatened her and her kids, saying that he had a green light which he interpreted as permission to kill. But the case was dismissed two months later because it turned out the situation involved a different Gonzalo Leon. However, even with this new information, the judge refused to decrease the bond amount. She said that previous charges had nothing to do with it. She was only considering the case at hand. In fact, when the prosecution brought the additional charges of injury to a child and aggravated assault, she raised the bond amount from $1 million to $1.3 million. On September 17, attorneys went head to head on a motion filed by the defense. Gonzalo's attorneys claimed that the Houston police illegally seized his phone the morning after the shooting without a warrant and before he was arrested. But the prosecution argued that the phone was critical evidence. They said it could show them burglary alarm records and that GPS data could also show if he went outside the house that night Julian Guzman was killed. In this instance, the judge ruled that the court court doesn't have the authority to mandate that Gonzalo's phone be returned to him. But there's more evidence for them to fight over. The prosecution claims that they've provided everything to the defense, including over a hundred pages of a police report, 911 calls, thousands of photos, and hours of body worn camera video. But according to Gonzalo's lawyers, they're still missing the body cam footage from the two first responding officers and a video from the victim's cell phone. They've also requested the SWAT team audio and video recordings of Gonzalo's arrest, the statement from his wife, the statement Gonzalo gave during the interrogation, an extraction of Julian's cell phone, any search warrants related to the case, and any surveillance videos. And they're not just focusing on their client. They also want information on who Julian Guzman's older cousin who was playing ding dong ditch with him that night. Gonzalo's lawyers want information relating to an unlawful carrying of a weapon charge against Julian's cousin. Specifically, they want access to information about a stolen pistol that was allegedly in his waistband. We should know a lot more soon because Gonzalo Leon Jr. Has asked for a speedy trial, which means it has to start within 120 days. And there's still so much ground to cover on both sides. With the next hearing set for October 21, we should be learning more soon. This case may seem cut and dry, but as you can see, with all of the legal wrangling going on, there should be a lot more information coming out. We'll be monitoring it every step of the way, and when there are any major updates, we'll be sure to bring them to you. What did you think of today's cases? Drop your thoughts and theories in the comments. You stay curious and I'll stay on the case. See you next time. If you haven't already, subscribe to our YouTube channel @Crime House Daily and follow us on social media rimehouse24.7 for real time updates because the pursuit of justice.

[Heidi Wong]

Never stops, Twisted Tales with Heidi Wong is perfect for spooky season. Dive into the real events behind the world's most terrifying blockbusters and beyond. Twisted Tales is a Crime House original. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes out every Monday.