Illinois mom charged with killing toddler was closely following Lindsay Clancy trial, officials say

An Illinois woman, Corie Walsh, has been charged with the murder of her two-year-old son, Barrett, according to prosecutors. Walsh, who was 40 at the time, is accused of three counts of first-degree murder. The case came to light after Walsh's son was discovered dead in the basement of their suburban Chicago home on September 1, 2026, as reported by NBC Chicago.

According to prosecutors, Walsh had been closely following the murder trial of another mother, Lindsay Clancy, in Massachusetts. She was reportedly texting friends about the case just hours before her son's body was found. A neighbor discovered Barrett in the basement less than four hours after the initial report, and Walsh was found elsewhere in the home with injuries that were self-inflicted, according to prosecutors.

Walsh later told investigators that she believed her son was the "devil" and the "anti-Christ," leading to her admission of killing him. Her attorney, Andrea Lyon, claimed that Walsh was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of the incident, describing the boy's death as a tragedy for the entire family. Police were alerted to the situation shortly before 4 p.m. following a neighbor's discovery of the child and immediate CPR, which was performed until emergency services arrived.

The autopsy revealed that Barrett had died from asphyxia caused by ligature compression of the neck.

Upon searching the house, police found Walsh fully dressed in a bathtub containing bloody water. She sustained cuts to her wrists and thighs, which were described as not life-threatening by authorities.