Corie Walsh pleaded not guilty at a preliminary hearing in Joliet while her husband, Michael Walsh, attended. Prosecutors allege she strangled her 2-year-old son Barrett, left him hanging from a rafter, and later attempted suicide on Sept. 1 during an alleged psychotic episode. They also claim she plotted to poison her husband, a plan prosecutors tie to an apparent fixation on the Lindsay Clancy trial. The defense says Walsh was psychotic, has subpoenaed jail treatment records, and is seeking pretrial hospitalization; a judge previously denied release citing danger to the family.
Accused Illinois Mother Pleads Not Guilty; Prosecutors Allege Son Was Strangled and Husband Targeted in Poison Plot
Corie A. Walsh, 38, in a booking photo provided by law enforcement.
Corie Walsh pleaded not guilty Thursday during a preliminary hearing in Joliet, Illinois, as her husband, Michael Walsh, watched from the courtroom. Authorities have charged Walsh in the death of her 2-year-old son, Barrett, and say she later attempted to kill herself on Sept. 1 during what they describe as a "psychotic episode."
Prosecutors allege that Walsh strangled Barrett and left him suspended from a rafter before trying to take her own life. They further contend she plotted to poison her husband, a scheme they say grew out of an apparent fixation with the high-profile Lindsay Clancy trial.
Defense stance: Andrea Lyon, Walsh's attorney and a former Casey Anthony defense lawyer, told reporters that family members attended the hearing to support Walsh and described her as someone who has not been violent in the past. "They love her, and this is not — she's never been violent. … She was psychotic," Lyon said, according to published accounts. Lyon also said the defense has subpoenaed treatment records from the jail where Walsh is being held and is pursuing a transfer to a medical facility so Walsh can receive psychiatric care.
Michael Walsh arrives at Will County Courthouse in Joliet, Ill.
Court developments: A judge earlier this month denied a motion for pretrial release, with prosecutors arguing that releasing Walsh would be "too dangerous" because she posed a threat to her husband and the couple's three surviving children. At Thursday's hearing, the defense reiterated its request for pretrial hospitalization and confirmation of Walsh's mental-health records.
Details and public interest: Some reports list Walsh's age as 40 while a booking photo provided by law enforcement listed her as 38; the discrepancy appears in public reporting. The case has attracted national attention because of reported similarities or comparisons to other high-profile maternal filicide cases, including the Lindsay Clancy trial referenced by prosecutors.
Media and onlookers gathered at the Will County Courthouse in Joliet as Michael Walsh arrived for the hearing. Fox News Digital and other outlets sought comment from Michael Walsh after the proceeding.
Next steps: The case remains in the pretrial phase. Prosecutors have made the allegation of murder and an alleged poisoning plot; the defense emphasizes psychosis and seeks psychiatric treatment records and hospital placement for Walsh pending trial.
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