More disturbing details are emerging in the heartbreaking case involving Illinois mom Corie Walsh and her 2-year-old son, Barrett.
According to brand-new police reports and court documents reviewed by People on Friday, a neighbor discovered the horrifying scene at the family’s Frankfort, Illinois, home after Barrett was found hanging in the basement. The neighbor reportedly found Walsh upstairs attempting to harm herself and intervened before trying to help the toddler.
Related: Hairdresser Tried To Hire Tinder Match To Kill Her Police Officer Ex And His Daughter!
During a court hearing Tuesday, the neighbor described Walsh as behaving strangely, including having a “weird giggle” and dilated eyes, NBC Chicago reported. Walsh’s attorney, Robert Kerr, also told the judge that her behavior had been “out of character.”
Perhaps most unsettling is what allegedly happened in the hours before Barrett’s death. As we’ve previously noted, Walsh had reportedly become deeply involved in online discussions about Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children in 2023. Clancy’s defense has argued that postpartum psychosis played a role in the deaths, and the case has recently drawn a TON of national attention following a mistrial.
According to witness accounts presented in court, Walsh allegedly made confusing statements about the case, including suggesting that Clancy’s husband was responsible for the children’s deaths. She also allegedly wrote at one point:
“It was manslaughter, please help I’m really freaking out.”
Kerr told the judge that Walsh was experiencing a “brief psychotic disorder” and was “severely mentally ill” when Barrett died.
In the meantime, Walsh, 40, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
Her next court appearance is scheduled for September 24.
Such a devastating case…
If you have sincere cause to suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or go to https://www.thehotline.org/.
For resources on mental health, visit https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help.
To learn more about postpartum depression, CLICK HERE or HERE.
[Image via Frankfort Police Department]