Warning: This story includes graphic and disturbing details. An Illinois mother had become “very invested” in the high-profile Lindsay Clancy murder trial before prosecutors say she killed her two-year-old son on Tuesday, according to witnesses cited in court documents. Corie Walsh, a 40-year-old resident of Frankfort, was charged with first-degree murder after prosecutors allege she fatally strangled her son, Barrett Walsh, according to a complaint filed on Friday and obtained by CNN affiliate WLS. At the time over 1,000 miles away (1,609 kilometres), the jury had been deliberating in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former nurse accused of killing her three children. Walsh had been discussing the case on a group text message with her friends up until 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, prosecutors said witnesses told them, according to court documents obtained by WLS. Around 4 p.m., the Frankfort Police Department responded to a report of an unresponsive toddler before he was pronounced dead at a hospital, according to a Friday news release from police. The tragedy comes as Lindsay Clancy’s trial, which gripped the nation and sparked passionate debate, ended after the jury remained deadlocked and the judge declared a mistrial Friday. Prosecutors argued Clancy acted “intentionally, rationally, and swiftly” to kill her children, while the defence said she should not be held criminally responsible because she was suffering from postpartum psychosis. Walsh, who was “reportedly…attempting to harm herself,” told officers she did this to her son because he was the “devil” and the “anti-Christ,” prosecutors said. A neighbour arrived at the home to find the toddler lifeless in the basement and Walsh in the bathroom with a knife, according to court documents. Walsh’s attorney, Andrea Lyon, told CNN Walsh had been in a mental health crisis. “This is a tragedy, for the Walsh family all of whom are mourning the loss of this child,” Lyon said Friday. “It is also a tragedy in 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.” Walsh was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries and her three other children were unharmed, according to police. Walsh was taken into custody following an investigation by the Frankfort Police Department and Will-Grundy Major Crimes Task Force and is now being held at the Will County Adult Detention Facility as she awaits a detention hearing on Tuesday, according to the sheriff’s office. Prosecutors have sought to deny her pretrial release, alleging Walsh “made statements regarding harming her other children and statements that she intended to harm her husband upon his return home.” An autopsy was performed by the Will County Coroner’s Office Wednesday, the office said in a statement. Preliminary autopsy findings indicate that Barrett died from asphyxia due to ligature compression of the neck, according to court documents. The final cause and manner of death are pending following autopsy, police and toxicological reports, the coroner’s office said. CNN has reached out to the Will County Coroner’s Office and Will County State’s Attorney for more information. Toddler found in basement On Tuesday afternoon, a neighbour who tried to administer first aid to Barrett said he “was cold and had no pulse,” according to court filings. The neighbour, who was not named in the complaint, reported that the toddler was hanging in the basement from a rafter with a ligature around his neck and his feet off the ground, according to court documents. She removed the ligature, lowered him to the ground and administered CPR while calling 911. The Frankfort Fire District said an ambulance “arrived to find a two-year-old patient in cardiac arrest.” They “immediately initiated advanced resuscitative efforts and transported the patient to the ambulance,” the fire district said in a news release Thursday. The toddler was pronounced dead around 5 p.m. Tuesday at a New Lenox hospital, according to the coroner’s office. A baby was in the home at the time and was unharmed, court documents say. Two school-aged children returned home around the time the toddler was found and were also unharmed. Walsh’s husband was out of state but flew home Tuesday evening. When they arrived at Walsh’s home, officers found her in an upstairs bathroom lying in a bloody tub with her neighbour pressing a towel on her thigh. The neighbour said she had taken a knife from Walsh’s hand and thrown it into the sink. Walsh had cuts on her wrists and thighs, court documents say. Walsh was “actively harming herself,” according to her neighbour’s account in court documents, and had asked her neighbour why she took the knife away from her as she was attempting suicide. Walsh told her “Bear,” a nickname for her son, was in the basement, according to court documents. While hospitalized, Walsh allegedly described to officers how she killed Barrett, which prosecutors say was “consistent with the evidence in this case.” Walsh’s phone was located in the bathroom and a forensic analysis of her phone is now being conducted, prosecutors said. The knife was also taken into evidence. The Illinois Department of Child and Family Services told CNN it doesn’t have any record of contact with the family. --- If you or someone you know is in crisis or struggling with mental illness, here are some resources that are available. Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline (Call or text 988 or visit988.ca) Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1-800-463-2338) Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) If you need immediate assistance call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
