A Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three young children before attempting to take her own life became tearful as her murder trial began with emotional testimony from her former husband.
Lindsay Clancy, 35, is charged in the deaths of her children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan — at the family’s home in Duxbury in January 2023.
Clancy has not disputed that she killed the children, but she has entered a plea of not guilty.
Her defense argues she cannot be held criminally responsible because she was experiencing postpartum psychosis after being prescribed a potent mix of medications to treat depression.
Clancy survived her suicide attempt, but the injuries left her permanently paralyzed and reliant on a wheelchair.
The trial opened Monday with prosecutors and defense attorneys offering sharply conflicting accounts of Clancy’s state of mind and conduct on the day her children died.
Prosecutors described the killings as deliberate and carefully planned, while Clancy’s legal team portrayed them as the result of a severe mental health crisis.
Patrick Clancy, her former husband, was the first witness to testify, repeatedly struggling to contain his emotions as he spoke about the couple’s children.
‘Cora was into princesses. She had a lot of friends. She just liked taking care of people,’ he said while becoming choked up and breathing heavily.
Speaking about Dawson, the grieving father said: ‘He was into firefighters and trucks. He liked Paw Patrol.’
Lindsay Clancy, 35, broke down in tears as her murder trial started with emotional testimony from her ex-husband
Patrick Clancy, was the first witness called to the stand, where he often became overwhelmed while talking about his children
Clancy does not deny that she strangled her children – Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan – back in January 2023, then attempted to kill herself
When asked to describe eight-month-old Callan, he said: ‘He was a happy baby.’
As Patrick spoke, his ex-wife grabbed a tissue and covered her face with her hair.
Patrick, who has since remarried, has publicly forgiven Clancy and is expected to testify in her defense.
He has filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing multiple doctors and healthcare providers of overmedicating his wife and causing her to spiral out of control.
On the stand, Patrick then described his final moments in the house before he left to pick up the takeout food that Clancy had ordered on the day of the murders.
‘I came upstairs, I took Callan for a minute. I rocked him by my knees, kissed Cora on the head, and I said I’ll be right back,’ Patrick said.
He said Dawson was eating chicken nuggets on the couch when he left.
When Patrick returned from collecting the food, Clancy had strangled the children with exercise bands, then used multiple methods to try to end her own life.
Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, displayed graphic images of Clancy’s injuries to push back on the state’s previous comments that it was a ‘fake suicide attempt’
The prosecution argued that Clancy was not in the throes of psychosis when she killed her children, and claimed the killings were intentional and well planned
The court was shown images of the Clancy family in the weeks and months leading up to the murders, including this photo fo the family Christmas tree shopping in December 2022
In his opening statements, Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, described her as a loving mother who struggled with mental illness.
He displayed graphic images of Clancy’s injuries to push back on the state’s previous comments that it was a ‘fake suicide attempt.’
‘You’re going to hear evidence that she flung and threw herself out the window, striking her head on the ground, causing what is known as a Jefferson fracture of her neck,’ he said.
‘She shattered, exploded her thoracic spine. Shattered her cervical spine first disc. Broke every rib.’
The images included photos of Clancy’s cuts on her neck and wrist, as well as photos of her in the hospital.
The Daily Mail is not reproducing them because of their disturbing nature. Other images showed splattered blood around the house.
However, the prosecution used its opening statement to argue that Clancy was not suffering psychosis when she killed her children.
‘This is not a case about the Lindsay Clancy that sits before you today. This case is about the Lindsay Clancy on January 24, 2023, at the time of the crimes,’ said Plymouth Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham.
Patrick also testified that Clancy told him she started experiencing thoughts of hurting their children and herself, and when she began a new medication in December 2022, she began to spiral
Clancy became emotional throughout the day, sobbing as her children’s names were said allowed and shuttering when he ex-husband entered the courtroom
‘This was not a woman in the throes of psychosis on January 24, 2023. This was a woman who acted intentionally, rationally and swiftly to achieve a very specific goal. To kill.
‘The evidence will show you she was not psychotic that day.’
Patrick testified that Clancy started showing signs of anxiety in September 2022, about a month before she was supposed to return to work after giving birth to Callan.
He said that she did not exhibit signs that made him want to commit her to a psychiatric facility, but added she was under a lot of stress.
Patrick also testified that Clancy told him she started experiencing thoughts of hurting their children and herself, and when she began a new medication in December 2022, she began to spiral.
‘That was really where her big spiral started. She started to lose a lot of weight, and she became very depressed. She was having a really hard time,’ Patrick said.
‘She described thoughts of hurting the kids or them having some sort of ailment.’
‘She was very nervous that when Cora had a stomach ache, she became overly worried that she had a liver problem or something much more dramatic than it was.’
He added, ‘I never saw Lindsay harm the kids.’
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
