Two school-aged children returned to their suburban Chicago home around the same time their 2-year-old brother, Barrett “Bear” Walsh, was discovered unresponsive in the basement — one of several disturbing new details emerging in the murder case against their mother, Corie Walsh.

Walsh, 40, of Frankfort, Illinois, has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in connection with Barrett’s Sept. 1 death. A fourth child, an infant, was also inside the residence and was found unharmed, according to court documents.

A neighbor was performing CPR on Barrett when officers arrived shortly after 4 p.m. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Preliminary autopsy findings cited in court records attributed his death to asphyxia caused by ligature compression, although authorities previously said final findings were still pending.

Two siblings arrived home around the time of the discovery

A petition seeking to keep Walsh detained before trial says two of her school-aged children returned home “around the time” Barrett was discovered.

The documents do not indicate that either child witnessed what happened to their younger brother.

Walsh’s husband was out of state at the time, while the couple’s infant was inside the home and was unharmed.

According to investigators, a neighbor discovered Barrett in the basement and immediately attempted to help him while contacting emergency services.

Police were then directed upstairs, where they found Walsh in a bathroom after what authorities described as an attempt to harm herself. She was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.

Investigators examine messages about Lindsay Clancy trial

The case has also attracted attention because of what prosecutors say Walsh had been discussing with friends only hours before Barrett’s death.

Witnesses told investigators that Walsh had recently become “very invested” in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother charged in the deaths of her three children.

Clancy’s case had drawn widespread attention because her defense argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible for the deaths. Her trial was in jury deliberations when Barrett died; it ended in a mistrial several days later after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Court documents say Walsh was actively discussing the Clancy case in a group text with friends until approximately 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 — roughly three and a half hours before authorities were called to her home.

Friends later described an apparent shift in Walsh’s messages that day. During a court hearing, prosecutors said one of the messages read: “it was manslaughter, please help I’m really freaking out,” as Walsh expressed an unsupported belief concerning Clancy’s husband.

There is no evidence establishing that the Clancy trial caused Barrett’s death, and Walsh’s defense has strongly rejected suggestions that she was a “copycat.”

Defense says Walsh was experiencing psychosis

Defense attorney Robert Kerr told the court that Walsh was severely mentally ill at the time of her son’s death and had been diagnosed with “brief psychotic disorder.”

Kerr argued that she required immediate psychiatric treatment and said doctors who evaluated her after the incident had recommended care.

Family and friends told the defense that Walsh had not previously shown signs of abusing her children, and her attorneys said she had recently been seeing a counselor.

The defense has been particularly forceful in pushing back against comparisons between Walsh and Clancy.

“Describing Corie to a copied Lindsay is to take an easy bait,” Kerr told the court, calling the characterization “sickening.”

Prosecutors cite Walsh’s alleged statements after Barrett’s death

Prosecutors have presented a different picture as they seek to keep Walsh detained.

According to court documents, Walsh allegedly made statements to authorities after Barrett was discovered that investigators believe are directly connected to his death. Officials say she later described to police at the hospital how she had killed her son.

Prosecutors have also alleged that Walsh made statements suggesting she intended to harm her other children and her husband. During her first court appearance, they said she had discussed poisoning her husband with a drink.

Her attorneys maintain those statements were made while Walsh was experiencing psychosis.

Witness descriptions from that afternoon have also become part of the case. A neighbor reportedly described Walsh as behaving unlike herself, while a first responder said she was incoherent during the ambulance ride.

Judge orders Walsh detained

Prosecutors argued that Walsh posed a potential danger to her surviving children and husband if released.

Her defense sought inpatient medical treatment instead of detention, emphasizing her mental condition and the need for psychiatric care.

The judge ultimately ordered Walsh to remain detained while the case proceeds.

Her husband and mother were not present at the hearing, although defense attorneys said both continue to offer Walsh their “unwavering love and support.” Authorities also said her husband has cooperated with police and social workers.

The timing of the hearing carried another painful significance for the family: Barrett’s funeral was held the same day.

Walsh’s next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 24.

The case now centers not only on what happened inside the Frankfort home on Sept. 1, but also on Walsh’s mental state, her statements before and after her son’s death and the unusual group-chat conversations friends say changed dramatically in the final hours before police arrived.