An Illinois woman charged with killing her 2-year-old son had been closely following the murder trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy and was texting friends about the case just hours before her son was found dead, prosecutors said.
Corie Walsh, 40, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder after her son, Barrett, was found dead in the basement of the family’s suburban Chicago home on Sept. 1, according to court records.
Prosecutors stated Walsh had become “very invested” in Clancy’s nationally watched trial and was discussing it with friends until about 12:30 p.m. on the day of the incident. A neighbor discovered Barrett less than four hours later.
Walsh was found elsewhere in the home with injuries authorities described as self-inflicted. Prosecutors reported that she later told investigators she killed her son because she believed he was the “devil” and the “anti-Christ.” Her attorney, Andrea Lyon, informed reporters that Walsh was experiencing a psychotic episode and characterized the boy’s death as a tragedy for the entire family.
Police were dispatched to Walsh’s residence in Frankfort, approximately 35 miles southwest of Chicago, shortly before 4 p.m. after a neighbor discovered Barrett in the basement, according to prosecutors’ petition to keep Walsh jailed before trial.
The neighbor initiated CPR while calling 911 upon finding the child, prosecutors said. Barrett was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy concluded that his death was caused by asphyxia resulting from ligature compression of the neck.
Upon searching the house, police discovered Walsh fully dressed in a bathtub filled with bloody water, prosecutors reported. She sustained cuts to her wrists and thighs and was taken to a hospital for injuries that authorities deemed not life-threatening.
The revelation that Walsh had been following Clancy’s trial emerged days after a Massachusetts judge declared a mistrial in that case when jurors indicated they could not reach a unanimous verdict. Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, was accused of killing her three young children in 2023. Her defense argued that she was legally insane and suffering from postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors contended that Clancy understood her actions and knew they were wrong.
Authorities in Illinois have not alleged that Clancy’s trial played a direct role in the killing of Walsh’s son, and no evidence made public thus far establishes a connection beyond Walsh’s documented discussions of the case. Frankfort Police and prosecutors in Will County did not respond to requests for comment.