Mound approves Eli Hart Memorial Playground in honor of slain 6-year-old boy

Eli Hart memorial playground fundraiser

It’s been one year since 6-year-old Eli Hart was killed by his mother, and his family is raising money for a memorial playground in his honor.

MOUND, Minn. (FOX 9) - A playground dedicated to 6-year-old Eli Hart got approval from the Mound City Council to be built at Surfside Park.

The Mound City Council voted 3-2 on Tuesday, approving the playground at the popular Lake Minnetonka park. The Eli Hart Foundation has been raising money to replace the existing playground at Surfside Park in honor of Eli. The foundation has a goal that Eli be remembered for the boy he was and not for the way he died.

The playground will be built in the spring of 2024, according to the Eli Hart Memorial Playground Facebook page.

Eli Hart's mother, Julissa Thaler, was sentenced in February to life in prison for murdering her 6-year-old son on May 20, 2022. Authorities said Thaler shot Eli in her vehicle and then hid his body in her trunk. The incident shook the Lake Minnetonka area.