An Illinois mother had become “very invested” in the high-profile Lindsay Clancy murder trial before prosecutors say she killed her 2-year-old son, according to witnesses cited in court documents.
Corie Walsh, a 40-year-old resident of Frankfort, was charged with first-degree murder after prosecutors allege she fatally strangled her son, Barrett Walsh, according to a complaint filed on Friday.
At the time, over 1,000 miles away, the jury had been deliberating in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former nurse accused of killing her three children. Walsh had been discussing the case on a group text message with her friends up until 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, prosecutors said witnesses told them.
Around 4 p.m., the Frankfort Police Department responded to a report of an unresponsive toddler before he was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to a news release from police.
The tragedy comes as Lindsay Clancy’s trial ended after the jury remained deadlocked and the judge declared a mistrial Friday. Prosecutors argued Clancy acted intentionally to kill her children, while the defense said she should not be held criminally responsible because she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.
Walsh, who was reportedly attempting to harm herself, told officers she did this to her son because he was the “devil” and the “anti-Christ,” prosecutors said. A neighbor arrived at the home to find the toddler lifeless in the basement and Walsh in the bathroom with a knife, according to court documents.
Walsh’s attorney, Andrea Lyon, said Walsh had been in a mental health crisis.
“This is a tragedy, for the Walsh family all of whom are mourning the loss of this child,” Lyon said. “It is also a tragedy in that Corie herself was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time this happened. It is our hope that through a thorough presentation and investigation of the facts, that all of us will come to see this heartbreak for what it is.”
Walsh was taken into custody following an investigation by the Frankfort Police Department and Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force and is now being held at the Will County Adult Detention Facility as she awaits a detention hearing on Tuesday.
Prosecutors have sought to deny her pretrial release, alleging Walsh made statements regarding harming her other children and statements that she intended to harm her husband upon his return home.
An autopsy was performed by the Will County Coroner’s Office Wednesday. Preliminary autopsy findings indicate that Barrett died from asphyxia due to ligature compression of the neck, according to court documents. The final cause and manner of death are pending following autopsy, police, and toxicological reports, the coroner’s office said.
On Tuesday afternoon, a neighbor who tried to administer first aid to Barrett said he was cold and had no pulse, according to court filings. The neighbor reported that the toddler was hanging in the basement from a rafter with a ligature around his neck and his feet off the ground, according to court documents. She removed the ligature, lowered him to the ground, and administered CPR while calling 911.
The Frankfort Fire District said an ambulance arrived to find a two-year-old patient in cardiac arrest and immediately initiated advanced resuscitative efforts before transporting him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
A baby was in the home at the time and was unharmed, court documents say. Two school-aged children returned home around the time the toddler was found and were also unharmed. Walsh’s husband was out of state but flew home Tuesday evening.
When they arrived at Walsh’s home, officers found her in an upstairs bathroom lying in a bloody tub with her neighbor pressing a towel on her thigh. The neighbor said she had taken a knife from Walsh’s hand and thrown it into the sink. Walsh had cuts on her wrists and thighs, court documents say.
Walsh was actively harming herself, according to her neighbor’s account in court documents, and had asked her neighbor why she took the knife away from her as she was attempting suicide.
Walsh told her “Bear,” a nickname for her son, was in the basement, according to court documents.
While hospitalized, Walsh allegedly described to officers how she killed Barrett, which prosecutors say was consistent with the evidence in this case.
Walsh’s phone was located in the bathroom and a forensic analysis of her phone is now being conducted, prosecutors said. The knife was also taken into evidence.
The Illinois Department of Child and Family Services reported that it does not have any record of prior contact with the family. A GoFundMe campaign was launched for the family to support the three surviving young children during the transition.