Illinois mom Corie Walsh allegedly hanged her 2-year-old son Barrett and then tried to kill herself in September after intensely following the trial of Lindsay Clancy — who received sympathy from millions of women and nationwide attention killing her three young kids.
Then, this week, Indiana mom Shatayvia Alisha Calderon executed her son Julian, 9, weeks after sharing a fundraiser for Clancy’s family.
There have been at least eight cases of mothers allegedly killing or attempting to kill their children since Clancy’s trial began in July — raising questions about whether sick moms have caught a “social contagion” following the wall-to-wall coverage.
Experts on copycat killings say the spate of headline-grabbing murderer moms bears all the hallmarks of “social contagion” — a controversial idea that high-profile acts of violence such as mass-shootings and suicides can inspire copycats.
But, they also caution, this could also be a case of confirmation bias — that is, people giving more attention to cases likely Clancy’s in the wake of her trial.
“This fits the contagion model, especially with all the media attention,” said Dan Romer, of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.
Romer — who has studied how the viral Netflix series “13 Reasons Why” may have inspired a rash of youth suicides — said watching both Clancy and the activists who came out in droves to support her may have resonated with other disturbed mothers on the brink.
“If there is an audience that sees the event as relevant to them, you could have a contagion effect,’’ the expert said.
“The fact that these are mothers does fit into that narrative. They’ve seen another mother who’s been under a lot of stress and takes the lives of their family.
The sheer size of interest in the Clancy case could also be a factor in sending moms who are already ill over the edge.
“The Lindsay Clancy case has been all over the news like no other filicide case before,” said Dr. Susan Hatters-Friedman, a psychiatrist and expert on maternal filicide at Case Western Reserve University.
“Would someone with a certain personality might then start to have thoughts of getting that attention? Could this be putting the idea in people’s minds?” she said.
Clancy’s defense has argued that she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis had been improperly diagnosed in the months leading up to her children’s deaths.
Her case has also attracted a vocal contingent of supporters, including women who rallied outside the courthouse during her trial, arguing that she was failed by the medical system — not driven by malice.
Adding to the intrigue is just how rare these cases are. Less than 10% of killers in the US are women, according to FBI data.
And killer moms are even less common — there are about 200 cases of mothers killing their children per year, an analysis of crime data from 1976 to 2007 showed.
In the 1960s, psychiatrist Phillip J. Resnick identified several common motives for maternal filicide. Clancy and the recent cases also don’t fit neatly into the mould of killer moms.
Sometimes a parent simply doesn’t want the child anymore. In other cases, a child suffered prolonged abuse and neglect.
These cases often involve newborns or babies — and data shows that women are responsible for these killings at higher rates than any other form of child killing.
Most of the recent killings have involved older kids. Clancy’s children were 5, 3 and 8 months when she strangled them.
Other mothers are driving by trying to get sick revenge on the other parent. North Dakota mom Kailey Erhart allegedly slaughtered her two kids in August, texting her estranged husband “say goodbye to your children.”
However, in the cases of Illinois mom Walsh and Pennsylvania mom Metallica Rose Harrison — who allegedly killed her son and husband at Great Wolf Lodge in the Poconos — the moms were still together with the fathers of their children.
In other cases, the killing is done out of a twisted supposed form of love, for example, if the child has a serious health condition or the parent is planning their own suicide and can’t bear to leave the kid behind.
Metallica Rose stabbed her family to death on the final day of a picture-perfect family vacation — then tried to kill herself.
“If a parent is planning to kill their child, they might want them to have a good last day, so they might treat them to nice things that make them happy,” Hatters-Friedman said.
Finally, the parent may simply just suffer from a condition such as schizophrenia or postpartum psychosis.
This was the crux of Clancy’s case. Likewise, the Clancy-obsessed Walsh hanged her toddler when she was suffering a psychotic break, her lawyer has argued. She told cops her son was the anti-Christ.
Janieka Ellington, a Washington mom who allegedly stabbed her daughters on the highway, had been rambling about someone following them before intentionally crashing her car.
Another twist in the wave of mothers-killing-children cases: Most of the moms posted apparently loving, happy photos on social media right up until they killed their kids.
That has also made such cases all the more vivid — there are loads of heart-breaking pictures of Clancy in happier times online for anyone to see.
Spending time on media seem to contribute to suicide contagion, Romer found — and he said he wouldn’t be surprised if it also plays a role for disturbed moms.
Whether these high profile killings are part of a social contagion — or whether we’re just noticing them more, one thing seems clear: The Clancy case has more women talking about child murders.
“People are now coming into their mental-health appointments thinking about it and talking about it,” Hatters-Friedman said.
“It’s not just new moms talking about it. It’s all sorts of people.”
Clancy’s defense argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and claimed she heard a male voice telling her to kill her children.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text Crisis Text Line at 741741.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.