Lindsay Clancy's mother testified that her daughter expressed thoughts of harming her children and feared that her medication was 'destroying' her mind, months before the alleged killings. Paula Musgrove told the court in Plymouth, Massachusetts, that Clancy was losing weight, becoming paranoid, and desperate to feel like herself again, even asking to sleep in her mother's bed due to her unsettling behavior.
Background of the Case
Clancy, 36, is charged with murdering her three children—five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan—at the family home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, on January 24, 2023. She does not deny fatally strangling the children with an exercise band but has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, described under Massachusetts law as a lack of criminal responsibility.
Her defense argues that the killings were caused by severe postpartum mental illness rather than a deliberate criminal act. Prosecutors contend that Clancy intentionally killed the children before making an 'insincere' attempt to take her own life, which left her paralyzed. The trial has focused heavily on her mental health, treatment, and behavior in the months leading up to the deaths.
Mother's Testimony
Musgrove was among the first witnesses called by the defense after prosecutors rested their case on Monday. She described a conversation in which Clancy approached her and her former husband, Patrick, saying, 'I want to tell you guys something,' as reported by The Guardian. 'She said she had thoughts of harming the children,' Musgrove told jurors.
Patrick previously testified that his wife had made the statement but that she had said she didn't have any plans to hurt them. Five days before the killings, Clancy used her phone to search for 'symptoms of postpartum psychosis' and 'psychosis symptoms,' jurors heard. She also looked up 'how quickly does Wellbutrin work for depression' and 'ketamine for suicidal ideation.'
Digital Evidence and Prior Warnings
The searches were discovered by digital forensic expert Ian Whiffin, the prosecution's final witness, who examined Clancy's internet history, calls, messages, and health data. Musgrove told the court that her concerns had begun months earlier. On October 20, Clancy sent her a message reading: 'I'm really sick. Something is wrong.'
Clancy said she didn't know how she would make it through each day and that the medicine she had been prescribed had 'made things worse.' 'It's just really scary and I don't want to be alone,' she added. Musgrove traveled from Connecticut to her daughter's home and stayed for a week. She and her husband made repeated trips during November and December, but Clancy's condition didn't appear to improve.
'In November and December, it was not getting better,' Musgrove testified. She said her daughter believed 'this wasn't her mind' and feared the medication was 'destroying' it. Clancy also told her: 'This isn't me. I just want to feel better and enjoy my kids again.'
Defense and Prosecution Arguments
Her lawyers say she experienced a broad range of depressive symptoms and sought psychiatric help before the killings. Clancy's sister, Allison Ozga, also testified about learning that she had been experiencing suicidal thoughts. 'She's feeling numb, she's feeling hopeless,' Ozga told the court.
Patrick previously told jurors that Clancy later spoke to him from hospital about hearing a man's voice before the children were killed. She said it told her 'that if she didn't do it now, she would lose her chance, or something like that,' according to his evidence. Clancy also spoke to Patrick by phone while he was away from the house collecting medication from a pharmacy and picking up a takeaway.
The prosecution has used evidence about that evening to argue that her actions were planned, while the defense maintains that she was severely mentally ill at the time. If convicted of first-degree murder, Clancy faces the possibility of life in prison without the possibility of parole. If jurors find that she lacked criminal responsibility, however, she would instead be committed to a state psychiatric hospital. The trial continues.
