An Illinois mother, Corie Walsh, 38, has been charged with first-degree murder after allegedly hanging her 2-year-old son, Barrett, whom she described as the "anti-Christ."
Authorities found the child, also known as "Bear," hanging from the rafters in the family's basement. Prosecutors stated Walsh told investigators she killed her son because she believed he was the "devil" and the "anti-Christ." An autopsy confirmed Barrett died of asphyxiation.
A neighbor discovered the scene and alerted 911 operators, reporting that Walsh had no pulse while administering CPR. Emergency responders pronounced Barrett dead at the scene. Walsh was found in a bathtub, fully clothed and covered in blood, leading police to believe she attempted to harm herself. Her injuries were not considered life-threatening, and she was hospitalized.
According to court documents viewed by FOX 32, Walsh had been texting friends about the Lindsay Clancy case at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, approximately three hours before Barrett was found deceased. Clancy, a Massachusetts mother and nurse, is accused of strangling her three children to death and then attempting suicide, claiming postpartum psychosis and overprescription of psychiatric medication. Prosecutors noted the parallel between the two cases, as the jury was still deliberating Clancy's case at the time of Barrett's death.
Walsh's husband was out of town at the time of the incident and returned on Tuesday evening. Three other children were found unharmed in the home. Walsh faces three counts of first-degree murder, and prosecutors are seeking to deny her pretrial release. Once medically cleared, she is expected to be transferred to the Will County Adult Detention Facility for a detention hearing. Her description of the events was consistent with evidence found at the scene.