A Frankfort, Illinois woman is facing first-degree murder charges after her 2-year-old son was found dead in their home and she was discovered with self-inflicted injuries, according to police and court records.
Incident Details
On Tuesday afternoon, police responded to a report of an unresponsive child at a residence in the affluent village of Frankfort, about 35 miles southwest of Chicago. A neighbor had found the toddler, Barrett Walsh, hanging in the basement and began CPR. The child was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The Will County Coroner’s Office ruled the death an apparent homicide. An autopsy indicated the cause was asphyxia due to ligature compression of the neck.
Mother’s Charges and Statements
Corie A. Walsh, 40, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder on Friday. Prosecutors filed a petition to deny her pretrial release, alleging that Walsh had recently become deeply interested in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, which was being live-streamed and ended in a mistrial on Friday. Court documents state Walsh was actively discussing the case in group texts until 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, just hours before the incident.
Officers found Walsh in an upstairs bathtub, fully dressed and surrounded by bloody water, with cuts to her wrists and thighs. She was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. According to the filing, Walsh told officers she harmed her son because he was the ‘devil’ and the ‘anti-Christ.’ A neighbor reported seeing Walsh with a knife, actively harming herself, and later told police that Walsh said the child was in the basement.
Family and Aftermath
Walsh’s husband was out of town at the time. An infant in the home was unharmed, and two school-aged children returned home around the time Barrett was found; they were also physically unharmed. Prosecutors allege Walsh made statements about harming her other children and her husband upon his return.
While hospitalized, Walsh described to officers how she killed Barrett, consistent with evidence at the scene. She remained in custody for medical treatment and will be transferred to the Will County Adult Detention Facility upon release. It is unclear if she has an attorney.
Frankfort police called the case a ‘heartbreaking tragedy’ and asked the community to keep the family in their thoughts.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in emotional distress, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7, to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.