A mother accused of murdering her two-year-old son had been looking forward to seeing him meet Mickey Mouse at Disney World before his death, a court has heard. Corie Walsh discussed the holiday with her mother mere hours before the incident that led to Barrett Walsh’s death.
Flights, rooms, meals and park passes had been booked for Walsh, her husband, their four children and both grandmothers. Walsh and her mother had been planning the trip since January, defence lawyer Robert Kerr said.
First words were 'Bluey' and 'Mickey Mouse'
The toddler had delayed speech, but his first words were ‘Bluey’ and ‘Mickey Mouse’, according to Kerr. Walsh was particularly excited about taking him because of his affection for those two characters. Walsh ‘could not wait, she told her mother, to see [Barrett’s] face when he met Bluey and Mickey,’ Kerr told the court, New York Post reports.
Barrett’s family called him ‘Bear’. His obituary remembers his love of singing, dancing and playing with his siblings.
Murder charge and plea
40-year-old Walsh is accused of murdering Barrett at the family home in Frankfort, Illinois, on September 1. She pleaded not guilty to murdering Barrett at a court hearing last week, with her defense previously arguing the mum was in the throes of a ‘psychotic episode’ at the time.
Prosecutors have said she became ‘very invested’ in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a mum whose trial over the killing her own children attracted global attention. Walsh had been discussing the case in a group chat only a matter of hours before Barrett was found, according to court documents.
Kerr described Walsh as a ‘very highly-involved, highly-functioning mother, a good mother, a loving and doting mother’. He said that other parents had even trusted Walsh to look after their children in the past. The Disney trip was one of a few examples that Kerr gave the court while describing her family life and plans for the future.
Discovery and aftermath
Barrett was found suspended by a ligature around his neck in the basement. She has two other children, who returned home around the same time Barrett was found. A neighbour found Barrett and attempted CPR before emergency responders arrived. He was then taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police found Corie Walsh injured in a bathtub at the house after it’s reported she had attempted to take her own life. Court documents say she told officers that she had allegedly killed Barrett because she believed he was ‘the Devil’ and ‘the Antichrist’.
Flowers, toys and handwritten messages were left outside the family home. Blue ribbons were tied around nearby trees in Barrett’s memory.
Legal proceedings
Walsh’s lawyers want her moved from jail to a hospital for psychiatric treatment. A judge refused an earlier request to release her from custody. Lawyer Andrea Lyon said the defence had subpoenaed Walsh’s jail records ‘to see whether or not she’s getting the treatment she needs’. Walsh has been held since her arrest on September 4.
Corie Walsh’s husband Michael, her mother and other relatives attended Thursday’s brief court hearing. They sat in the front row as Walsh appeared in jail clothing. Michael was seen wiping away tears during the hearing. Outside court, he told a supporter that he had been packing up the family home.
Lyon said Walsh’s family continued to support her. ‘They love her and this is not — she’s never been violent… she was psychotic. They all know that and want her to get better. This is not who she is,’ she told reporters.
