An Illinois mom of four accused in the hanging death of her toddler was having a psychotic episode at the time of the killing, her lawyer reportedly said in court this week.

The child, 2-year-old Barrett Walsh, was found dead in the basement by a neighbor in his family’s Frankfort, Ill., residence on Sept. 1, according to Frankfort police and court records cited by NBC Chicago and CNN. The child was not named in the police statement but was identified by the local outlets.

His mother, 40-year-old Corie Walsh, was found in a bloodied bathtub attempting to harm herself, the outlets reported, citing court documents.

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As the investigation progressed, witnesses came forward alleging Walsh had been “invested” in the Lindsay Clancy case, which which drew national attention over Clancy’s defense claim that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she killed her three children in January 2023.

Walsh had been “actively discussing” the case just hours before Barrett’s killing, according to witness accounts and court documents cited by NBC Chicago and CNN.

Walsh’s lawyer told a judge this week that she had been “severely mentally ill” at the time of Barrett’s killing and needs treatment, NBC Chicago reported.

Walsh has been diagnosed with a “brief psychotic disorder,” her attorney, Robert Kerr, said during a pretrial hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 9, according to the outlet.

When contacted by PEOPLE to confirm his statement, Kerr said he would not repeat statements he had made in court.

Corie Walsh with Barrett Walsh.Corie Walsh/Facebook
Walsh allegedly told authorities she had harmed her child because “he was the ‘devil’ and the ‘anti-Christ,’” NBC Chicago and CNN reported, citing prosecutors.

Walsh also allegedly made claims that she would poison her husband, prosecutors said in court, per NBC Chicago.

Her friends, as well as the neighbor who found her in the bloodied bathtub, said her behavior was out of character.

The neighbor reportedly said that when she found Walsh, she had dilated eyes and a “weird giggle,” NBC Chicago reported.

Hours before the killing, Walsh allegedly wrote in her group chat that she believed Clancy’s husband killed the couple’s three children — a conspiracy theory without evidence, which Lindsay Clancy’s attorney called “horrific” recently.

“It was manslaughter, please help I’m really freaking out,” Walsh allegedly wrote in the chat, NBC Chicago reported.

The witnesses from the group chat said her texts were “confusing” and “out of character,” per the outlet.

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Walsh was found by her two older children, who returned home and discovered what was happening, the court heard. They ran to the neighbor, who rushed to help the family.

The neighbor pulled Barrett down from a rafter, where he had been hanging with a ligature around his neck and his feet off the ground, according to court documents cited by CNN.

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Walsh has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder, Frankfort police said last week. It is not immediately clear whether she has entered pleas.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.