Illinois mother detained after alleged killing of 2-year-old son
A 40-year-old Illinois woman, Corie Walsh, was ordered detained by a judge following accusations that she hung her 2-year-old son, with prosecutors saying she was experiencing a grief-related psychotic episode.
A Cook County judge ordered 40-year-old Corie Walsh detained during a hearing on Tuesday, after prosecutors accused her of hanging her 2-year-old son, Barrett, at their home in Illinois. Walsh’s defense team requested placement in a psychiatric facility, arguing she was in a psychotic episode at the time of the incident.
Prosecutors said Walsh discussed a separate high-profile murder trial with friends in a group chat hours before the alleged killing, and that she expressed confused and out-of-character messages about the case. They also reported that two children who returned from school alerted a neighbor, who found Barrett hanging from a rafter and attempted CPR without success.
Walsh was found in a bathroom attempting self-harm, and a neighbor described her behavior as unusual, noting dilated pupils and a strange giggle. Police said Walsh told investigators she believed her son was “the devil” and the “anti-Christ.”
Medical records indicate Walsh was diagnosed with a grief-related psychotic disorder, a condition in which bereavement can trigger severe psychological reactions, including psychotic-like experiences. Her attorney, Robert Kerr, rejected comparisons to the other case, calling such characterizations “sickening.”
Walsh’s other lawyer, Andrew Lyon, said the family is mourning the child’s death and emphasized that Walsh was experiencing a psychotic episode, urging a thorough investigation of the facts. Prosecutors argued that Walsh can receive mental-health treatment while detained.