Lindsay Clancy, 36, sent her husband Patrick a series of routine text messages about dinner plans on the evening she killed their three children, according to testimony in her ongoing murder trial. Clancy has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan, who were found strangled in the basement of their Duxbury, Massachusetts home on January 24, 2023.
Final Text Exchange Revealed in Court
On Thursday, prosecutors read the text messages Clancy sent to Patrick as he ran errands that day. At 4:35 p.m., she texted about a local restaurant, writing: 'Any chance you want to do takeout from ThreeV.' Patrick responded 'Yeah,' and Clancy replied, 'Okie dokie. Check the menu when you can.' Patrick then asked what she wanted to eat and whether Callan had woken up; she replied that he had. The couple exchanged food orders, ending the exchange, according to the Daily Mail.
Surveillance footage allegedly shows Patrick at a nearby CVS picking up medication for his daughter before stopping at the restaurant. When he returned home at 6 p.m., he found Lindsay injured on the floor outside, having jumped about 20 feet from an upstairs window after cutting her wrists and neck. He then discovered the children strangled with an exercise resistance band in the basement.
Not Guilty Plea and Postpartum Psychosis Defense
Clancy's defense team does not dispute that she killed the children but argues she was not criminally responsible because she suffered from extreme postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness causing hallucinations, delusions, and extreme mood swings. The condition affects about 1 in 1,000 mothers, per the NHS, and is a medical emergency requiring urgent hospital care.
Investigators found concerning Google searches Clancy made before the deaths, including 'can you treat a sociopath?' four days prior, as well as 'how to slit your throat to die,' 'where is the carotid artery,' and 'how to turn airbags off on Kia Sorento.'
Notes Reveal Mental Health Struggles
Notes on Clancy's phone were shown during the trial. In an October 25, 2022 note, she wrote that she 'resents' her two older children because 'they prevented her from treating Cal like her first baby.' She wrote: 'I am sad and depressed because I am not able to parent my third child like my first.' A month later, she described feeling unable to parent all her children as she wished, calling it 'the root cause of all our problems,' per CNN.
In a note last modified on January 23, 2023, the day before the deaths, Clancy wrote about anxiety following Callan's birth and her medication. She said she asked a psychiatrist for Zoloft, and after the dosage was increased, she 'couldn't sleep a wink.' Her psychiatrist allegedly told her to stop Zoloft and use Ativan and Benadryl to sleep. 'That's when everything started going downhill,' she wrote. Her phone also contained affirmations: 'I will get through this. I will overcome postpartum anxiety and depression. I am a great mom. I love my kids.'
Prosecution Claims Deliberate Plan
Clancy's attorney has said she had bipolar disorder and that an antidepressant worsened her condition. Patrick testified about her deteriorating mental health, including suicidal thoughts and intrusive thoughts about harming the children. She sought help from specialists and was hospitalized in a psychiatric facility, but was discharged and killed the children 19 days later. Lindsay and Patrick have accused medical professionals of failing to properly diagnose, treat, and monitor her.
Prosecutors allege Clancy deliberately sent Patrick out to give herself time to strangle the children. The trial continues.
