A Frankfort, Illinois, mother has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old son, who was found unresponsive in the basement of the family home on Tuesday afternoon.Corie A. Walsh, 40, is accused in the death of Barrett Walsh, also known as Bear, who was born March 26, 2024. Prosecutors said Walsh told officers she did this to her baby because he was the ‘devil’ and the ‘anti-Christ.’Frankfort police were called to the 22700 block of Brook Stone Court at 4:04 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, on a report of an injured child. A 17-year-old neighbor was performing CPR on the toddler when officers arrived.The neighbor told investigators she found Barrett hanging from a rafter in the basement with a ligature around his neck and his feet off the ground. She removed the ligature, lowered him to the ground, and called 911. She said he was cold and had no pulse.Barrett was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and pronounced dead Tuesday. An autopsy on Wednesday found he died of asphyxia due to ligature compression of the neck, prosecutors said. The Will County coroner’s office called the death an apparent homicide. A final cause and manner of death remained pending.Mother found in upstairs bathtubOfficers were directed to an upstairs bathroom in the master bedroom, where Walsh was found lying fully dressed in a bathtub surrounded by bloody water. She had cuts to her wrists and thighs.The neighbor took a knife from Walsh’s hand and threw it into a sink. Walsh asked why the knife was taken and said she was trying to kill herself. She also told the neighbor that Bear was in the basement.While hospitalized, Walsh made additional statements describing how Barrett was killed. Prosecutors said those statements were consistent with evidence at the home.An infant was inside the home and was not harmed. Two school-age children returned home around the time Barrett was found and were also unharmed. Walsh’s husband was out of state and flew home Tuesday evening.Link to Lindsay Clancy trialProsecutors said Walsh had recently become very invested in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial. Witnesses said she had been discussing the case in a group text with friends until about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, about three and a half hours before police arrived.Clancy, a Massachusetts mother, is charged with killing her three children in January 2023 and then trying to kill herself. Her jury was deliberating on Tuesday. A mistrial was declared Friday after the jury could not reach a verdict.Walsh’s phone was recovered in the bathroom. Prosecutors said a forensic analysis of the device was underway.In a petition to deny pretrial release, prosecutors said Walsh had made statements about harming her other children and her husband when he returned home. They argued she poses a specific, real and present threat to her husband and her living three children.Charges and defenseThe three first-degree murder counts rest on different legal theories, including that Walsh intended to kill her son, knew her actions would cause death, and knew there was a strong probability her actions would cause death. The case is being investigated by the Frankfort Police Department and the Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force.Attorney Andrea Lyon, who is representing Walsh, said her client was experiencing a psychotic episode. Lyon said, ‘This is a tragedy for the Walsh family, all of whom are mourning the loss of this child. It is also a tragedy in that Corie herself was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time this happened.’Frankfort Police Chief Leanne Chelepis said, ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, their loved ones, and everyone affected by this heartbreaking tragedy. We ask our community to keep them in their thoughts and prayers and to respect their privacy as they navigate this profoundly difficult time.’Mayor Keith Ogle said the village was in shock and asked residents not to draw conclusions before investigators finish their work.Walsh was held for medical treatment after her injuries, which police said were not life-threatening. She was booked into the Will County Jail on Friday afternoon and is being held at the Will County Adult Detention Facility. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8.
