Illinois mother charged after son’s death had followed Clancy trial, prosecutors say

An Illinois mother accused of killing her two-year-old son had been closely following the murder trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy, prosecutors said, texting friends about the case on the day the child was found dead. Corie Walsh, 40, faces three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the death of her son, Barrett, according to court records obtained by NBC Chicago and cited by The Guardian. Prosecutors said Walsh had become “very invested” in Clancy’s trial and discussed it with friends until about 12:30 p.m. last Tuesday. Less than four hours later, a neighbor discovered Barrett in the basement of the family’s home in Frankfort, a suburb about 35 miles southwest of Chicago, prosecutors said. The neighbor began CPR and called 911. Barrett was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy determined that the boy died from asphyxia caused by ligature compression of the neck, according to the prosecutors’ filing seeking to keep Walsh in custody before trial. Authorities said Walsh was found elsewhere in the house, fully dressed in a bathtub containing bloody water. She had cuts on her wrists and thighs and was taken to a hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Prosecutors said Walsh later told investigators that she killed her son because she believed he was the “devil” and the “anti-Christ.” Her attorney, Andrea Lyon, said Walsh had been experiencing a psychotic episode and described the death as a tragedy for the family. The disclosure about Walsh’s interest in Clancy’s case came days after a Massachusetts judge declared a mistrial when jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, had been accused of killing her three young children in 2023. Her lawyers argued that she was legally insane and experiencing postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors said she understood her actions and knew they were wrong. Illinois authorities have not alleged that the Clancy proceedings played a role in Barrett’s death. The Guardian reported that no publicly disclosed evidence establishes a connection beyond Walsh’s discussions of the trial.