{"id":2656592,"date":"2026-09-09T10:00:01","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/is-it-spreading-clancy-obsessed-mom-in-custody-after-neighbor-found-toddler-hanging-from-basement-rafters-court-docs\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T10:06:35","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T14:06:35","slug":"is-it-spreading-clancy-obsessed-mom-in-custody-after-neighbor-found-toddler-hanging-from-basement-rafters-court-docs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/is-it-spreading-clancy-obsessed-mom-in-custody-after-neighbor-found-toddler-hanging-from-basement-rafters-court-docs\/","title":{"rendered":"Is It Spreading? Clancy-Obsessed Mom in Custody After Neighbor Found Toddler Hanging from Basement Rafters: Court Docs"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fis-it-spreading-clancy-obsessed-mom-in-custody-after-neighbor-found-toddler-hanging-from-basement-rafters-court-docs%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2656592&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the social media adn public reaction following the Lindsay Clancy trial, which involved a mother accused of killing her children and claiming she was experiencing a psychotic episode. Concerns arose that this case might inspire similar crimes, as exemplified by the case of Corie walsh, a mother from Illinois charged wiht murdering her 2-year-old son. Walsh allegedly hung her child and was found in a distressed state, heavily influenced by the clancy case and discussing it with friends beforehand.The legal considerations surrounding insanity defenses are examined, noting differences between states like Massachusetts and Illinois, especially regarding the burden of proof. Experts suggest that Walsh&#8217;s case differs from Clancy\u2019s due to the absence of postpartum psychosis and her apparent awareness of her actions. The article criticizes how media and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/newsom-takes-his-kids-out-of-a-summer-camp-because-masks-werent-required\/\" title=\"Newsom Takes His Kids Out Of A Summer Camp Because Masks Weren\u2019t Required\">social media attention<\/a> can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aoc-completely-distraught-that-her-squad-pals-werent-allowed-in-israel\/\" title=\"AOC upset as &#039;Squad&#039; pals denied entry to Israel.\">distort public perception<\/a>, turning complex legal and mental health issues into sensationalized narratives, potentially encouraging copycat crimes.It emphasizes that while mental health conditions are common among violent offenders, most retain the capacity to conform to the law, and high legal standards must be met for an insanity defense. Ultimately, the piece expresses concern over the way social media magnifies these tragedies and hampers justice, raising fears about future copycat incidents inspired by high-profile cases.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>The greatest fear that spawned from the Lindsay Clancy trial and subsequent social media\/podcastery maelstrom was that it would inspire copycat crimes. If the case of Corie Walsh is any indication, those chickens may be coming home to roost quicker than expected.<\/p>\n<p>Walsh, a 40-year-old mother of four children from Frankfort, Illinois, is being held on three charges of first-degree murder after allegedly hanging her son.<\/p>\n<p>Her attorney says that her client was \u201cexperiencing a psychotic episode,\u201d according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcchicago.com\/news\/local\/frankfort-murder-case-court-docs-reveal-horror-inside-suburban-home-where-2-year-old-was-killed\/3985358\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WMAQ-TV<\/a> in Chicago, but authorities said that the mother had \u201crecently become very invested in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/man-accused-starting-palisades-fire-become-obsessed-leftist-ideas-according-prosecutors\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Prosecutors<\/a> said that a neighbor found her 2-year-old child hanging from a rafter in the basement last Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe removed the ligature, lowered the child to the ground, and attempted CPR while calling 911. According to the neighbor, Barrett was cold and had no pulse,\u201d court documents read. Officers were then \u201cdirected to an upstairs bathroom located in the master bedroom\u2026 reportedly due to this defendant, the mother of the victim, attempting to harm herself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Police <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/clancy-copycat-mother-accused-murdering-2-year-old-confirmed-obsessed-lindsay-clancy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> they found Walsh in a tub \u201cfully dressed, surrounded by bloody water.\u201d The child, meanwhile, was pronounced dead from \u201casphyxia due to ligature compression of the neck\u201d later in the day. The mother was hospitalized with injuries that were not life-threatening.<\/p>\n<p>The killing of the 2-year-old and its similarities with the Clancy case had already generated considerable attention when it was discovered that Walsh was \u201cactively discussing the case\u201d in text messages with friends just hours before the killing allegedly occurred.<\/p>\n<p>At the time, the jury was still deliberating Clancy\u2019s fate.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/breaking-lindsay-clancy-judge-declares-mistrial-pending-defense-appeal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mistrial due to hung jury<\/a> was declared by the judge, with the jury deadlocked 11-1 in favor of acquittal by reason of insanity.<\/p>\n<p>From WMAQ:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>According to court documents, Walsh told officers she \u201cdid this to her baby because he was the \u2018devil\u2019 and the \u2018anti-Christ.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Walsh\u2019s attorney said she was \u201cexperiencing a psychotic episode\u201d in a statement released on Friday evening.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u201cThis is a tragedy, for the Walsh family all of whom are mourning the loss of this child. 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.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>However, it\u2019s unlikely that the case will proceed similarly to Clancy\u2019s, in part because of where the burden of proof lies.<\/p>\n<p>Both Massachusetts and Illinois have a similar <a href=\"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/criminal\/criminal-procedure\/the-insanity-defense-among-the-states.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">standard<\/a> for determining legal insanity \u2014 the Model Penal Code <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/model_penal_code_insanity_defense\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rule<\/a>, which states that an individual \u201cis not responsible for criminal conduct if at the time of such conduct as a result of mental disease or defect he lacks substantial capacity either to appreciate the criminality [wrongfulness] of his conduct or to conform his conduct to the requirements of law.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Much of the contentiousness in the Clancy case came because of the fact that Massachusetts is an outlier, with the burden of proof in an insanity defense case lying with the prosecution. In Illinois, the burden to prove the lack of substantial capacity lies with the defense, as it does in most states.<\/p>\n<p>Clancy also had a significant history of medical illness and a claim of postpartum psychosis which, if it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/lindsay-clancy-never-showed-signs-acute-psychosis-psychiatrists\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">strained credibility for some observers and experts<\/a>, at least <em>existed<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>If the child in this case was the youngest, a diagnosis of postpartum psychosis could likely be ruled out, and regular psychosis would be difficult to prove for the defense if their client was talking \u2014 apparently with some clarity \u2014 about the Clancy case in the hours beforehand.<\/p>\n<p>Walsh was no doubt disturbed. Indeed, most people who commit the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/chicago-mayor-said-cannot-jail-way-violent-crime-proves-can-student-allegedly-murdered-criminal-illegal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">majority of violent crime<\/a> are, and could, in some way, be diagnosed with a legitimate psychiatric condition. They also still have the \u201csubstantial capacity\u201d to conform their actions to the law, most juries find.<\/p>\n<p>While one does not wish to prejudge this case, the defense will have an unusually high bar to clear.<\/p>\n<p>And this was the most worrying fact out of the Clancy killings and the subsequent trial: While the initial reason why the case generated interest was because of the unusual confluence of circumstances, both in terms of the facts of the case and the law, which made it an unusually tricky conundrum of how to serve justice, the glut of social media attention eventually discarded most of this entirely.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/lindsay-clancy-mistrial-dealt-devastating-damage-chance-future-conviction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Clancy<\/a> was seen by too many as a sympathetic proxy for feminist grievance, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/books\/booksblog\/2017\/may\/11\/the-lizzie-borden-industry-wont-die-but-its-feminism-has\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lizzie Borden<\/a> for the Zoloft age. Of all the wrong takes that floated about during the Clancy trial, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/patrick-clancy-finally-speaks-warns-conspiracy-theorists-smearing-consequences\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">of which there existed no shortage<\/a>, this was the most pernicious \u2014 inasmuch as it encouraged disturbed copycat would-be martyrs of motherhood to cash in on their bit of sympathy, too.<\/p>\n<p>It is a matter of little, but some, solace that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/massachusetts-inverted-burden-proof-standard-made-lindsay-clancy-guilty-verdict-incredibly-hard-deliver\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Kafkaesque quirk in Massachusetts law<\/a> which requires the prosecution to prove the defendant is sane does not exist here. That will not bring a child back. That also does not answer how many more children might end up dead all because of the ghastly \u201cNatural Born Killers\u201d antihero worship Lindsay Clancy has engendered.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]] = document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display = 'block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src = firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id'] = firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting = jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display = 'none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display = 'block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The main concern from the Lindsay Clancy trial and social media buzz is that it might inspire copycat crimes. The case of Corie Walsh suggests this fear may be coming true sooner than expected. Walsh, a 40-year-old mother of four from Frankfort, Illinois, is currently detained<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2656593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-09-09T090547.253.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[33402,32285,85363,85362,85364],"class_list":["post-2656592","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-child-safety","tag-legal-case","tag-neighborhood-crime","tag-parental-custody","tag-toddler-injury"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-09-09T090547.253.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2656592","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2656592"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2656592\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2656596,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2656592\/revisions\/2656596"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2656593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2656592"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2656592"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2656592"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}