A suburban Illinois mother who became interested in the Lindsay Clancy case has been charged with murder after reportedly killing her 2-year-old son and attempting to harm herself, according to police and court records.
A tranquil street in the affluent community of Frankfort, Illinois, some 35 miles southwest of Chicago, became a scene of fear earlier this week when a 2-year-old toddler was discovered hanging in the basement and his mother, Corie A. Walsh, was found in a bathtub in an apparent suicide attempt.
Walsh, 40, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder on Friday, authorities said.
Walsh had “recently become very invested in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial,” according to prosecutors’ petition to deny her pretrial release.
Clancy, who killed her three children in January 2023, has been in the national spotlight due to her livestreamed murder trial. It concluded in a mistrial on Friday.
Walsh had been “actively discussing the case” in group text messages with her pals until 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, barely three and a half hours before the gory sight at her home was discovered, according to the affidavit. At the time, the Clancy jury was deliberating.
Frankfort police arrived at the home just after 4 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a complaint of an unconscious youngster, according to authorities.
When authorities arrived, they found a neighbor administering CPR on Barrett Walsh, a toddler she had discovered hanging in the basement, according to court filings.
The neighbor got the boy down and performed CPR while phoning 911, but he was already cold and had no pulse, according to prosecutors.
The infant was taken to a local hospital and confirmed dead. The Will County Coroner’s Office declared his death an apparent homicide. According to the petition, preliminary postmortem findings indicate that he died from hypoxia caused by ligature compression of the neck.
Officers discovered Walsh in the upstairs master bathroom, fully dressed and “surrounded by bloody water.” According to the petition, Walsh was found with slashes on her wrists and thighs. Police say she was rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Walsh informed officers that she did this to her baby because he was the ‘devil’ and the ‘anti-Christ,’ according to the affidavit.
The neighbor informed investigators that she had discovered Walsh with a knife in her hands, “actively harming herself.” According to the petition, the neighbor took the knife and threw it into the sink, after which it was put into evidence.
Walsh asked her why she put the knife away, “as she was trying to kill herself,” according to the petition.
Walsh then informed the neighbor that the child’s nickname, “Bear,” was “in the basement,” according to the lawsuit.
According to police, the preliminary investigation indicates that the homicide was domestic in nature.
Walsh’s spouse was out of town when this occurred. Prosecutors say an infant was at home and unhurt.
According to the petition, two school-aged children had come home around the time Barrett was located and were physically unhurt.
Walsh allegedly made comments about harming her other children and her husband after he returned home, according to the affidavit.
Once hospitalized, she told officers “the manner in which she killed Barrett,” which was consistent with evidence found at the scene, according to the petition.
Walsh was taken into prison Friday night and is being treated for medical issues. After being freed, she will be sent to the Will County Adult Detention Facility.
It wasn’t immediately known whether she had hired an attorney.
Frankfort police called the incident a “heartbreaking tragedy” and asked the community to remember them in their thoughts and prayers.
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