An Illinois mother prosecutors paint as a Lindsay Clancy copycat was due in court Tuesday, charged with murdering her 2-year-old son before attempting to kill herself. Prosecutors say 40-year-old Corie Walsh of Frankfort strangled her son Barrett on Sept. 1; a neighbor found the boy in the basement with a cord around his neck, per CNN. Walsh, discovered upstairs in a bathtub with self-inflicted cuts, reportedly told officers her son was the “devil” and “anti-Christ,” per NBC News. Her attorney, Andrea Lyon, says Walsh was in the midst of a psychotic episode and called the death a tragedy, per the New York Post. Lyon also represented Casey Anthony, who was accused of killing her daughter, Caylee, in Florida, notes CBS News.
The new case mirrors that of Clancy, a Massachusetts mother who was charged with strangling her three children before attempting suicide. Her lawyers argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and a jury had been deliberating the case on Sept. 1. Authorities say Walsh had been “actively discussing the case” in group texts less than four hours before the murder was discovered. She then expressed a desire to harm her other children and husband, prosecutors allege, per NBC. An infant was found uninjured in the home, while two school-age children later returned home. Walsh’s husband was out of state.
Child welfare officials say they had no prior involvement with the family. Walsh faces three counts of first-degree murder under different legal theories (CNN goes into detail on each) and is being held without bond. If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.