A psychiatrist who gave testimony for the prosecution in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial resigned from his hospital position just hours after appearing on the stand.
Dr. Avram Mack determined that Clancy, 36, was criminally responsible for the deaths of her children after interviewing her in April of this year.
Testifying before the jury on August 21, Mack said the Massachusetts mother told her three children — Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months — to “Go to God” as she strangled them with exercise bands inside their home on January 24, 2023.
When Mack returned for cross-examination via Zoom on Monday, he repeatedly sparred with defense attorney Kevin Reddington in tense exchanges.
Later that same day, Mack, 54, stepped down from his job as a psychiatrist at Nemours Children’s Health in Delaware.
“Dr. Avram Mack is no longer employed by Nemours Children’s Health. He resigned on Monday, August 24,” a hospital spokesperson told Our News Outlet.
The reason for Mack’s resignation remains unclear. Calls and emails seeking comment from the physician were not returned Friday.
Prosecutors had retained Mack, along with another doctor, to evaluate Clancy earlier this year at Tewksbury Hospital, where she is being held while awaiting a verdict.
He determined that Clancy suffered ‘a major depressive episode’ but did not have psychosis, and insisted there were no signs of mania.
Dr Avram Mack resigned from his job at a children’s hospital after he testified that Lindsay Clancy is criminally responsible for killing her children
Clancy, 36, does not deny she killed her children, but has pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis
‘The deaths were done one by one in a way that was organized and tended to achieve a particular goal,’ Mack testified.
‘Her attempt at suicide was also organized in that it included as many methods as possible.’
The psychiatrist claimed Clancy showed that she had a decision-making capacity by asking to change her healthcare proxy from her then-husband Patrick to her parents.
Reddington sparred with Mack during his fiery cross-examination that lasted two days.
At one point, Reddington pointedly asked Mack: ‘Your area of interest is in adolescents who like to smoke weed and drink, isn’t it?’
‘No,’ the psychiatrist responded plainly.
Reddington then pressed Mack on whether he had ‘ever come within breathing distance of a pregnant woman.’
He challenged the psychiatrist’s experience with women, asking how many he had treated before appearing to accuse him of fabricating his testimony: ‘What, are you making this up?’
Mack, who testified on behalf of the state, repeatedly clashed with defense attorney Kevin Reddington during cross-examination
Mack testified that Clancy told each of her children – Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months – to ‘Go to God,’ as she strangled them on January 24, 2023
Reddington turned the tables on the state’s witness by asking some of the same questions that the defense experts were asked by prosecutors.
He asked if Dr Mack had confirmatory bias – because the state contacted him as part of their efforts to push back on Clancy’s insanity defense. Mack insisted he did not.
Reddington also questioned him about how much money he makes as an expert witness.
The two men also got heated while discussing the DSM-5, a reference book for mental health professionals, and postpartum issues.
When asking him about postpartum psychosis, Mack referred to it as a ‘proposed’ symptom or disease.
Reddington walked up to the screen and raised his voice, asking: ‘Are you telling me you don’t believe or buy postpartum psychosis?
‘I’m not saying that at all,’ Mack answered.
At one point, Judge William Sullivan told Mack to answer Reddington’s questions.
Reddington pressed Dr Mack on whether he accepts that postpartum psychosis is a legitimate disease.
The expert could not seem to give a straight answer, instead he asked Reddington questions.
Sullivan interrupted and told Dr Mack to answer Reddington’s questions or to tell the judge the question needs to be rephrased.
‘Doctor, hold on. Here’s the way this works. You don’t really ask a lot of questions, you answer the questions,’ Sullivan said.
On the day he finished testifying, Mack, 54, resigned from his role as a psychiatrist at Nemours Children’s Health in Delaware
A Nemours spokesperson told Our News Outlet: ‘Dr Avram Mack is no longer employed by Nemours Children’s Health. He resigned on Monday, August 24’
Mack claimed Clancy suffered ‘a major depressive episode’ but did not have psychosis, and insisted there were no signs of mania
‘I told you before, if you can’t answer a question the way it is framed, just let me know and I’ll tell counsel to frame it in a different way.’
Clancy is on trial for the murders of her children after she strangled them with exercise bands and then allegedly attempted to kill herself, but her efforts failed and left her paralyzed.
She has admitted to killing her children but pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis, and is seeking to be committed to a state mental health facility rather than face a prison sentence.
The jury began deliberating on Thursday and did not deliver a verdict by end of day Friday.
