Mother ‘Very Invested’ in Clancy Trial Admits to Killing 2-Year-Old Son in ‘Heartbreaking Tragedy’

A 40-year-old Illinois woman who had closely followed the Lindsay Clancy murder trial admitted to killing her 2-year-old son by hanging him from a basement rafter. Corie A. Walsh faces three counts of first-degree murder in the death of her son, Barrett “Bear” Walsh, at the family’s home in Frankfort. She remains in custody while receiving medical care. “[Walsh] recently become very invested in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial,” prosecutors said, citing witnesses. Walsh had reportedly discussed the case with friends in a group text as recently as several hours before her son was found. Police responded Tuesday afternoon after a neighbor called 911 from the home on Brook Stone Court. Prosecutors said the neighbor discovered Barrett suspended from a basement beam with a cord around his neck and his feet above the floor. The neighbor brought the child down and began CPR but told authorities he was cold and had no pulse. Barrett was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy determined that the child suffocated from pressure caused by the cord around his neck. Police said the official cause and manner of death had not yet been finalized. Officers also found Walsh in an upstairs bathtub, fully dressed and surrounded by bloody water, prosecutors said. She reportedly had cuts on her wrists and thighs. The neighbor told investigators that Walsh said she wanted to die and directed her to the basement, where Barrett was located. Walsh allegedly told responding officers that she killed the boy because she believed he was the “devil” and the “anti-Christ.” Authorities said she later described the killing while being treated at a hospital, and her account matched evidence collected from the house. An infant was inside the residence during the incident, while two older children arrived home near the time Barrett was found. None of the other children wer injured. Walsh’s husband was reportedly outside Illinois at the time. Clancy’s defense has argued that she suffered from postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors in that case have acknowledged her serious mental health problems but contend she understood her actions and remained capable of controlling them. Investigators are now examining Walsh’s phone as their inquiry continues. Frankfort Police Chief Leanne Chelepis called the case a “heartbreaking tragedy” and asked the public to respect the family’s privacy.