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Corie Walsh, 40, the Illinois mother accused of killing her 2-year-old son Barrett, entered a not guilty plea under the watchful eye of her husband, whom she is accused of plotting to poison.
She appeared in court on Thursday during a preliminary hearing where her husband, Michael Walsh, was also present.
Walsh is accused of strangling Barrett, leaving him hanging from a rafter before trying to kill herself on Sept. 1 during an alleged “psychotic episode.” Her attorney, Andrea Lyon, said after the court hearing Thursday that Walsh’s family was there to support her.
“They love her and this is not — she’s never been violent… she was psychotic,” Lyon said, the New York Post reported. “They all know that and want her to get better. This is not who she is.”
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Michael Walsh leaves Will County Courthouse on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Joliet, Illinois. Walsh’s wife, Corie Walsh, was arraigned today on charges of murder in the death of their 2-year-old son on Sept. 1. (Kamil Krzaczynski for Fox News Digital)
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Lyon previously told Fox News Digital that Walsh’s husband is standing by her throughout the case.
Corie A. Walsh, 38, in a booking photo provided by law enforcement. (Will County Detention Facility)
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Michael Walsh leaves the Will County Courthouse after his wife’s hearing on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Joliet, Illinois. (Kamil Krzaczynski for Fox News Digital)
Prosecutors argue in addition to killing the couple’s child, Walsh also plotted to poison her husband “amid a fixation with the Lindsay Clancy trial.”
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A family portrait showing Corie Walsh, left, alongside her booking mugshot following her arrest on first-degree murder charges in Will County, Illinois. (Facebook/Corie Walsh ; Will County Detention Facility)
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Michael Walsh arrives at Will County Courthouse on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Joliet, Illinois. (Kamil Krzaczynski for Fox News Digital)
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Lyon, who previously represented Casey Anthony, announced during a news conference after the hearing that her team subpoenaed treatment information from the jail that is currently housing Walsh, according to the Post.
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Michael Walsh arrives at Will County Courthouse in Joliet, Illinois. (Kamil Krzaczynski for Fox News Digital)
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Walsh’s defense is trying to get her pretrial release to the hospital.
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Fox News Digital previously reported a judge denied Walsh’s release earlier this month because it would be considered “too dangerous” after prosecutors said she posed a threat to her husband and three surviving children.
Corie Walsh’s husband leaves the Will County Courthouse after her hearing on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026, in Joliet, Illinois. (Kamil Krzaczynski for Fox News Digital)
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On Thursday, Lyon said, “Her whole family is here today — her husband, mother, mother’s best friend.”
“At today’s hearing, Ms. Walsh entered a plea of not guilty. The defense continues to seek her release so she can receive appropriate psychiatric treatment. We have no additional comment at this time,” Lyon told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital reached out to Michael Walsh.
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