Lindsay Clancy’s closely watched murder trial erupted into a tense courtroom dispute Friday after prosecutors were accused of being caught in a startling hot mic moment.
The dramatic exchange unfolded inside Plymouth County Superior Court, where defense attorney Kevin Reddington claimed members of the prosecution team had muttered “shut her up” as Clancy cried loudly and uncontrollably while jurors viewed autopsy photos of her infant son.
The day before, graphic images of eight-month-old Callan were shown on courtroom screens to the 18-member jury panel during testimony from Dr. Kimberly Springer, the medical examiner who conducted the child’s autopsy.
Clancy broke down at the defense table, sobbing and wailing audibly. Her distress continued even as nurses escorted her out of the courtroom during a recess.
On the court livestream, a microphone appeared to capture a voice saying something along the lines of “shut that off” or “shut her up,” though the precise words were not clear.
When proceedings resumed after the morning break Friday, Reddington angrily raised the issue in court.
Before the jury was brought back in, he immediately told the judge there was a matter he needed to address.
After the judge suggested discussing it at sidebar, Reddington declined, responding: “No, I don’t want to go to a sidebar.”
Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial descended into an ugly squabble on Friday. She is pictured above during the ninth day of testimony
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington accused prosecutors of muttering ‘shut her up,’ resulting in an intense courtroom clash. Reddington is pictured above questioning a witness
Patrick Clancy was out running an errand for the family and came home to discover that their happy family existence had been snuffed out in an act of almost unimaginable violence
‘They were caught on a hot mic saying ‘shut her up’ during the playing of the autopsy,’ he shouted, gesturing toward prosecutors Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham.
‘This is not like ‘Handmaid’s Tale.’ You can’t tape her mouth shut,’ he exclaimed.
The two sets of attorneys were quickly summoned to the bench by the judge.
While the saga was dealt with out of earshot of the public gallery and media, Judge William Sullivan later issued a warning that anyone found to be making inappropriate comments will be immediately kicked out of court.
‘There is to be no inappropriate comments or disruptive comments made inside this courtroom,’ he said.
‘Anyone found to make those will be immediately escorted out and banned.
‘I just want to make that clear. There will be no warnings. No yellow cards. You’re out.’
When reached for comment, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office denied that the prosecutors had uttered those words.
Clancy put her head in her hands and sobbed loudly and uncontrollably before a recess was called
Patrick, Lindsay, Cora, Dawson and Callan pictured together. Patrick’s father described them as ‘the all-American family’
Instead, a spokesperson said that – after reviewing video of the moment – they had determined that someone else in the courtroom had said ‘shut it off’ referring to the screens displaying the autopsy photos.
The brief moment of chaos came on day nine of Clancy’s trial, where jurors heard testimony from two psychiatrists who had treated the mom-of-three in the lead-up to the killings.
The former labor and delivery nurse is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months, inside the family home in the wealthy coastal suburb of Duxbury back on January 24, 2023.
After strangling the children with exercise bands in the basement, Clancy cut her wrists and neck before jumping from a second-floor window.
The 35-year-old has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, arguing she was suffering from severe postpartum depression and psychosis at the time.
Inside the courtroom on Friday, jurors heard testimony from Dr Jennifer Tufts – one of the main doctors who treated Clancy when her mental health began to deteriorate in the fall of 2022.
Dr Tufts began treating Clancy in September 2022 and prescribed her multiple different medications over the course of the four months leading up to the killings.
Dr Tufts testified that, on January 23, 2023 – just one day before the killings – there were no signs that Clancy was in a state of psychosis.
In an appointment that day, the mom-of-three also denied having any homicidal or suicidal thoughts, or any auditory or visual hallucinations.
Dr Jennifer Tufts, pictured above on Friday, testified that Clancy did not exhibit signs of psychosis before the killings. She began treating Clancy in September, 2022
Clancy is accused of strangling her young children with exercise bands before cutting her wrists and neck and jumping from a second-floor window. She is pictured above entering the courtroom earlier on Wednesday in a wheelchair
Clancy was depressed and flat but was able to communicate normally, her speech and thought process was appropriate and her cognitive abilities showed no deficits, Dr Tufts said.
Clancy said she was feeling anxious, had no motivation and had to force herself out of bed and out of the house but she was sleeping okay.
At no point did she say that she had plans to kill herself or her children.
There was no sign that she was a danger to herself or others and there was no grounds for the psychiatrist to seek an involuntary admission to a psychiatric unit, Dr Tufts said.
Over the course of the four months, Dr Tufts had multiple appointments with Clancy and prescribed her multiple different medications for anxiety, depression and insomnia.
The defense is arguing that Clancy was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and depression potentially as a result of being heavily overmedicated.
From September 2022 up until the killings at the end of January 2023, the mom-of-three was prescribed 13 different psychiatric medications from multiple providers.
However, the prosecution has argued that Clancy was of sound mind at the time of the killings – and that she did not take all of the drugs she was prescribed. Jurors have previously been shown multiple pill bottles found inside her home still containing several pills.
Clancy’s children are pictured above – Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan
Clancy broke down in court on Thursday as photos of Callan’s autopsy were shown to the jury
Dr Tufts is currently being sued for malpractice separately by both Patrick and Lindsay Clancy.
The suits allege that Dr Tufts and other providers overmedicated Clancy, leading to her conditions worsening, and ultimately to the deaths of her children.
On the witness stand, Dr Tufts spoke at length about each of her appointments with Clancy and each of the prescriptions she – and others – gave her.
She testified that Clancy had initially been reluctant to take anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications.
Yet over the course of four months, jurors heard how she was prescribed several meds by both Dr Tufts and other providers.
Throughout her treatment, Dr Tufts said that she was depressed and anxious but never showed signs of psychosis. She spoke of struggling with some of the medications she was given, including with insomnia.
At one appointment in December 2022, Clancy did say she was having intrusive thoughts. ‘It was a feeling that she was going to die,’ Dr Tufts testified.
That month, Clancy also said she had gone to the emergency room after having suicidal thoughts.
Clancy has pleaded not guilty, arguing she had been suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time
Yet in her appointments with Dr Tufts in January, she denied having suicidal or homicidal thoughts.
Jurors also heard from Dr Alia Goodheart, a psychiatrist at McLean Hospital who treated Clancy when she voluntarily admitted herself for five days from New Year’s Day 2023. Dr Goodheart testified that Clancy repeatedly described feeling ‘numb.’
If convicted, Clancy will be sentenced to life without parole in prison.
If found not guilty by reason of insanity, she will be admitted to a psychiatric unit.
The trial continues.
