Illinois mother charged with murder in 2-year-old son's death in Frankfort
Corie Walsh, 38, faces three counts of first-degree murder after her toddler was found dead in their Frankfort home. A teenage neighbour called 911 after discovering the boy in the basement.
Frankfort mother faces first-degree murder charges after toddler found dead at home
A 38-year-old mother has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder following the death of her 2-year-old son at a residence on Brook Stone Court in Frankfort, Illinois, cbsnews.com reports.
Frankfort police said officers were dispatched to the home around 4 p.m. on Tuesday after a 17-year-old neighbour dialled 911. When officers arrived, they found the teenager performing CPR on the toddler. The child was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.
Court records state the neighbour had found the boy "hanging in the basement on a device from a rafter" and that he "died from asphyxia." An infant was also present in the home at the time and was unharmed. Two older children returned from school around the time police arrived; their father was out of state.
Corie Walsh was found in an upstairs bathtub in a pool of blood, with cuts to her wrists and thighs. She was taken to hospital for medical treatment before being transferred Friday afternoon to the Will County Adult Detention Facility ahead of her detention hearing.
According to court documents, Walsh told officers she had killed the boy because he was "a 'devil' and the 'anti-Christ,'" and provided details of how the killing took place. Prosecutors say Walsh had "become very invested in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial" in the days leading up to the incident. Walsh was reportedly participating in a group text discussing the Clancy case just hours before her son's death, while that jury was still deliberating.
The Clancy trial concluded Friday when the judge declared a mistrial after jurors remained deadlocked. CBS Legal Analyst Irv Miller said the messages Walsh sent in that group chat would be central to the prosecution's case.
"That will be exhibit A by the prosecutors — it will be the first thing said in opening statement, the first piece of evidence they introduce, and the last thing they say in closing argument. That's how important that is," Miller said.
Prosecutors characterise the killing as premeditated. Walsh's defence attorney offered a different framing, stating in part: "It is also a tragedy that Corie herself was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time this happened. It is our hope that through a thorough presentation and investigation of the facts, that all of us will come to see this heartbreak for what it is."
Miller also cautioned that jury selection in Walsh's eventual trial could be complicated by public familiarity with the Clancy case. "You don't want jurors who are so familiar with the Clancy case that will use that either for or against the defendant in Will County," he said.
Walsh remains in custody at Will County Jail. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday, 8 September.
The Illinois Department of Child and Family Services told cbsnews.com it had no prior contact with the family before Tuesday's incident and confirmed the agency is now involved in the investigation.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)