An Illinois woman is facing charges for the death of her two-year-old son after being engrossed in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy from Massachusetts. Corie Walsh, 40, was accused of first-degree murder following the discovery of her son, Barrett, deceased in the basement of their suburban Chicago residence on Sept. 1.
According to court records obtained by NBC Chicago, prosecutors disclosed that Walsh had shown keen interest in Clancy’s high-profile trial and was actively discussing it with friends until around 12:30 p.m. that same day. Barrett was found by a neighbor less than four hours later.
Walsh was discovered elsewhere in the house with self-inflicted injuries. Prosecutors revealed that she confessed to killing her son, believing he was the “devil” and the “anti-Christ.” Her attorney, Andrea Lyon, attributed the incident to a psychotic episode, describing the boy’s death as a tragic event for the entire family.
Police were alerted to Walsh’s Frankfort home, approximately 56 kilometers southwest of Chicago, shortly before 4 p.m. after a neighbor located Barrett in the basement, as detailed in the prosecutors’ petition to detain Walsh pre-trial.
Upon finding Barrett, the neighbor initiated CPR and dialed 911. Despite being rushed to a hospital, the child was pronounced dead. A subsequent autopsy indicated that his cause of death was asphyxia resulting from ligature compression of the neck.
During a search of the residence, authorities discovered Walsh in a bathtub filled with bloody water, dressed and with cuts on her wrists and thighs. She was transported to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The revelation that Walsh had been monitoring Clancy’s trial emerged shortly after a mistrial was declared in the Massachusetts case, where jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision.
Clancy, a former nurse specializing in labor and delivery, had been accused of killing her three children in 2023. Her defense argued she was legally insane due to postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors contended that she was aware of her actions and their consequences.
As of now, Illinois authorities have not implicated Clancy’s trial in the death of Walsh’s son, and there is no public evidence linking the two cases beyond Walsh’s discussions. Requests for comments from Frankfort police and Will County prosecutors were unanswered as of Monday.