Mother charged with murder after 2-year-old son found dead in Frankfort home

Corie Walsh, 40, faces first-degree murder charges after her son Barrett was found hanged in the family basement. Her defence attorney says she suffered a psychotic episode.

Frankfort mother faces murder charge after toddler found dead in basement

A 40-year-old woman from Frankfort, Illinois, has been charged with first-degree murder following the death of her 2-year-old son, Google News MT — Crime (en) reports, citing ABC7 Chicago.

Frankfort police responded shortly after 4 p.m. on Tuesday to the 22700-block of Brook Stone Court after a report of an unresponsive child. A neighbour discovered Barrett Walsh hanging from a rafter in the basement of the family home. The same neighbour subsequently found Corie Walsh upstairs in a bathtub, having injured herself with a knife.

Court documents state that Walsh told investigators she had committed the act because her son was the "devil" and the "anti-Christ." Prosecutors also noted that witnesses reported Walsh had "recently become very invested in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial."

Walsh's defence attorney, Andrea Lyon, said her client "was experiencing a psychotic episode" at the time of the incident. Lyon added: "This is a tragedy for the Walsh family all of whom are mourning the loss of this child."

Prosecutors said Walsh's husband was out of town when the incident occurred. An infant also present in the home was not harmed. Two older, school-age children arrived home around the time Barrett and their mother were discovered.

The death has prompted a strong response from the wider Frankfort community. Local resident Amiee Demarchi established a Facebook support group for mothers in the wake of Barrett's death. The group, which has attracted hundreds of followers, connects families with mental health resources and practical support.

"It's unimaginable. You know, you don't understand how it could possibly happen," Demarchi said. "We are a tight-knit community, and so to hear it happen in your neighbourhood is even worse."

Demarchi said the response from community members has been broad. "We have several mental health therapists who offered their time," she said. "We even had moms offer to babysit each other's kids if somebody just needed a break."

In a statement issued Friday evening, Lyon elaborated on the defence's position: "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."

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)