Lindsay Clancy, 36, a former labour and delivery nurse from Duxbury, Massachusetts, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of her children Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan. The children were killed on January 24, 2023, using exercise bands. Clancy's defence team does not deny she committed the act but argues she was not criminally responsible due to extreme postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness marked by hallucinations, delusions, and severe mood swings.
Journal entries reveal mental state
Journal entries written two months before the killings have been presented in court, showing Clancy's deteriorating mental health. She wrote about 'horrible insomnia and anxiety' and expressed guilt over stopping breastfeeding her youngest son and sleep training him. In a November 18, 2022 entry, she wrote: 'It's like I'm so desperate to get a mental break from taking care of everyone that my mind is trying to make something physically wrong with me. I want help. I want to be well.'
The entries highlight her struggle with the demands of caring for three young children, a theme that has been central to the defence's argument that she was overwhelmed and suffering from a severe psychiatric condition.
Psychiatric testimony and hospital observations
Jurors heard from psychiatrists who treated Clancy at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, where she spent a month after her suicide attempt. Forensic psychiatrist Jhilam Biswas saw her just before back surgery on January 26, 2023, when she was sedated and intubated. When asked how she felt, she wrote 'Horrified' and asked if her back was broken and if her legs were straight. Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague noted that Clancy asked about an attorney and showed no signs of psychosis. However, defence lawyer Kevin Reddington highlighted that Biswas saw her only once and asked if appearing normal during psychosis is possible. Biswas responded: 'For some people, they can have moments of clarity, absolutely. And for some, it can be more continuous. It really depends on the patient and their illness.'
Another psychiatrist, Sejal Shah, who saw Clancy multiple times over a month, testified that she did not display suicidal or homicidal thoughts and was 'looking forward' to moving to a rehab facility. These observations have been used by prosecutors to argue that Clancy was aware of her actions and is criminally responsible.
The day of the killings
Testimony last week detailed the harrowing 911 call made by Clancy's husband, Patrick, on the day of the killings. Patrick had left the house to run an errand, and upon returning, found his wife injured outside and then discovered the children in the basement. Officers Stephen Hall and Brian Josephine testified that they found Cora and Dawson dead, while Callan had a faint pulse and was airlifted to hospital, where he died days later. Patrick testified that Clancy told him the children were in the basement but did not say they were dead. Clancy claims a voice told her, 'This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself,' according to her lawyer.
Background and legal proceedings
Patrick testified that Clancy's mental health deteriorated in the months before the killings, with suicidal thoughts and intrusive thoughts of harming the children. She had been on several medications and had sought help from postpartum mental health specialists, including a stay in a psychiatric hospital. She was discharged 19 days before the killings. On the day of the incident, Patrick had gone to collect medicine and a takeaway, returning less than an hour later to find blood on the bedroom floor, a bloody knife, and an open window. He found Clancy outside barely conscious, then discovered the children.
In a public statement after the deaths, Patrick forgave Clancy: 'The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace.'
The trial continues, with the defence expected to present further expert testimony on postpartum psychosis.
