A Frankfort, Illinois mother accused of killing her 2-year-old son had reportedly been discussing the Lindsay Clancy murder trial with friends just hours before her son was found dead, according to court documents. Corie A. Walsh, 38, has hired Andrea Lyon, a former attorney for Casey Anthony, to represent her.
Walsh has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the death of her son, Barrett Walsh. Court documents state that Walsh told officers she killed her son because she believed he was the "devil" and the "anti-Christ." Prosecutors are seeking to deny her pretrial release, arguing she poses a threat to her other three children and husband.
Authorities were called to Walsh's home on Sept. 1 after a neighbor reported an injured child. The neighbor found Barrett Walsh hanging from a basement rafter and attempted CPR, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene. A preliminary autopsy indicated the cause of death was asphyxia due to strangulation.
Walsh's other children were unharmed. Her husband was traveling out of state at the time of the incident. During the investigation, officers found Walsh in an upstairs bathroom with self-inflicted injuries. A neighbor reportedly disarmed Walsh of a knife and prevented her from harming herself further. Investigators documented cuts on her wrists and thighs.
Witnesses told investigators that Walsh had recently become "very invested" in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children. Walsh allegedly discussed the Clancy case in a group text message with friends approximately three and a half hours before her son was found. Her cellphone was recovered for forensic analysis.
Walsh's attorney, Andrea Lyon, has dismissed any connection between Walsh's interest in the Clancy case and the alleged killing, calling speculation of a copycat crime "baseless and cruel." Lyon stated that Walsh was "psychotic" at the time and that the charges do not amount to first-degree murder.
Walsh remains hospitalized and is expected to be transferred to the Will County Adult Detention Facility upon medical release. A judge denied her request for pretrial release to a locked hospital setting. The defense plans to continue investigating the case and may seek pretrial release again. The mandatory sentence for first-degree murder involving a victim under 12 in Illinois is 60 to 100 years without the possibility of parole.