Illinois Mother Charged with Murder of 2-Year-Old Son Faces First-Degree Murder Counts
Corie Walsh, 40, of Frankfort, Illinois, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder after her 2-year-old son was found dead in the basement and she was discovered with self-inflicted injuries.
An Illinois woman was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday on charges that she killed her 2-year-old son and then attempted suicide. Prosecutors allege that 40-year-old Corie Walsh of Frankfort strangled her son Barrett on Sept. 1, after a neighbor discovered the child in the basement with a cord around his neck. Walsh was later found upstairs in a bathtub with self-inflicted cuts.
"She told officers her son was the 'devil' and 'anti-Christ'," prosecutors said.
Walsh’s defense attorney, Andrea Lyon, described the incident as occurring during a psychotic episode and called the death a tragedy. Lyon previously represented Casey Anthony in a high-profile murder case.
The case has been compared to that of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother charged with killing three children before attempting suicide, with both defendants’ lawyers citing severe mental-health issues. Prosecutors say Walsh discussed the case in group texts hours before the murder was discovered and later expressed intent to harm her other children and husband. An infant in the home was found unharmed, and two school-age children later returned home; Walsh’s husband was out of state at the time.
Child-welfare officials reported no prior involvement with the family. Walsh faces three counts of first-degree murder under separate legal theories and is being held without bond. The National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988 for assistance.