The Oyler Griffin

FRANKFORT, IL — An Illinois woman has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old son, after police said she made disturbing statements to investigators about why she killed him. Frankfort police identified the suspect as 40-year-old Corie A. Walsh and said she was booked into the Will County Adult Detention Facility shortly after 1:30 p.m. Friday.

According to charging documents, Walsh allegedly told investigators she killed her son because he was “the devil” and “the anti-Christ.” The child was found dead after officers responded to a home Tuesday afternoon for a report of an unresponsive child. Police described the case as a domestic-related homicide, and Walsh is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.

Neighbor found child in basement after emergency call

Police said the first help came from a neighbor who found the boy in the basement and started CPR before first responders arrived. Charging documents say the same neighbor later found Walsh in a bathtub and saw her allegedly harming herself with a knife.

Officers were called to the home after the report of an unresponsive child. The sequence described in the court records suggests the situation unfolded quickly inside the residence, though investigators have not publicly detailed every moment leading up to the boy’s death.

The child was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead there. Will County authorities have treated the case as a homicide, and police have not said that anyone else in the home was physically hurt.

Coroner rules death as asphyxia in domestic-related homicide

The Will County Coroner’s Office determined the boy died of asphyxia, according to the charging documents. That finding became part of the case against Walsh, which police and prosecutors say stems from violence inside the family home rather than any outside attack.

Frankfort police publicly referred to the death as a domestic-related homicide. No additional cause-of-death details were released beyond the coroner’s conclusion of asphyxia, and investigators have not said what evidence they believe supports the murder charges beyond the statements and circumstances described in court records.

Walsh remained in custody while receiving medical treatment before she was transferred to the county detention facility. Her next court date is set for Tuesday, when prosecutors are expected to continue the criminal case.

Court records say Walsh focused on Massachusetts murder trial

Prosecutors said witnesses told investigators Walsh had become “very invested” in the murder trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy, whose case ended in a mistrial Friday after jurors could not reach a verdict. Witnesses said Walsh had followed and discussed the Clancy case before her son’s death.

That detail has emerged as part of the broader picture prosecutors are presenting, but officials have not said it establishes a motive or explains the killing on its own. The references to the Massachusetts case appear in witness statements described in the court records tied to Walsh’s charging documents.

Walsh’s attorney said his client experienced a psychotic episode at the time of the alleged murder. Authorities have not publicly commented on any medical history beyond noting that Walsh was receiving treatment before being moved into custody.

Family privacy and community reaction after the child's death

Frankfort police chief Leanne Chelepis said the department’s thoughts were with the family, loved ones and others affected by what she called a heartbreaking tragedy. In a Facebook post, she asked the community to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers and to respect their privacy.

People in the area said the case has shaken them. Carolyn Pappas, who lives nearby, told WLS that it was gut-wrenching to think a 2-year-old could be the victim of such a horrific event.

Pappas also said the case is a reminder for neighbors to look out for one another. Her comments echoed the sense of shock that often follows a homicide involving a child, especially in a residential neighborhood where the danger may not have been visible from outside.

Three other children were inside and not physically harmed

Police said three other children were inside the home at the time of the incident and were not physically harmed. Officials did not provide further details about their ages or where they were placed after the death, and no information was released about whether child welfare agencies became involved.

The criminal case now centers on the death of the 2-year-old and the allegations made in the charging documents. With Walsh scheduled to appear in court Tuesday, investigators and prosecutors are continuing to build the case around the events that unfolded in the home, the coroner’s finding, and the statements attributed to her.

For now, the case remains one of the most disturbing domestic homicide prosecutions in the area this year, with the family and neighbors left to absorb the loss while the court process moves forward.