An Illinois mother, Corie Walsh, 38, has been charged with first-degree murder after her 2-year-old son, Barrett, was found hanging in the family’s basement. Authorities reported that Walsh described her son as the 'anti-Christ' and 'devil' during investigations. Barrett was discovered with his feet off the ground and a ligature around his neck. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene, with an autopsy confirming death by asphyxiation.
Walsh was found in a bathtub, fully clothed and in bloody water, and was hospitalized for self-harm injuries that were not life-threatening. Three other children in the home were unharmed. Prosecutors noted that Walsh had been discussing the Lindsay Clancy case with friends just hours before the incident. Clancy, a Massachusetts mother, is accused of murdering her three children and claims to have suffered from postpartum psychosis.
At the time of Barrett's death, the jury was still deliberating Clancy's case. Walsh's husband was out of town and returned home on the evening of the incident. Walsh faces three counts of first-degree murder and is expected to be transferred to the Will County Adult Detention Facility after being cleared by medical staff. Prosecutors are seeking to deny her pretrial release.