Patrick Clancy has revealed the haunting answer his former wife gave when he asked whether she remembered killing their three children.
Clancy, who now lives in New York City with his wife, Dr. Rachel Danis, spoke publicly for the first time about the January 2023 deaths of his children: five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson and eight-month-old Callan.
He had been out running errands before returning to the family’s home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, where he found Lindsay Clancy lying in the backyard.
Inside the basement, he discovered the children after Lindsay had strangled them. Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead, while infant Callan was taken to a hospital. Patrick said Callan died four days later in his arms.
When Patrick later asked Lindsay whether she remembered what had happened, he said she replied that it felt “like a dream.”
“She remembered it much in the way you would remember a dream after waking up,” he said.
During the interview, CBS journalist Ross Douthat asked Patrick whether he believed he had failed during that period or had done everything he could.
“I think I did the best I could with what I had at the time. And I live with the outcome. I live with it every day,” Patrick said. He also stated that he had forgiven his former wife.
Patrick Clancy said his former wife, Lindsay Clancy, described the killings of their children as feeling like a “dream.”
Clancy has not denied killing the children but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, pointing to severe postpartum depression and psychosis.
Patrick said he first realized Lindsay was struggling when Callan was five months old and she had gone several nights without sleep.
“She came downstairs one morning, and she said, ‘I didn’t sleep at all last night.’ So I said, ‘That’s awful. I’ll take the kids to school. You just focus on getting caught up on sleep,’” he recalled.
Her condition continued to deteriorate, with Patrick describing December 2022 as her lowest point.
“December was a big struggle for her — just a huge lack of sleep, deep, deep depression and intrusive thoughts. At the end of that month, she went to the hospital.”
On New Year’s Day, Lindsay entered an inpatient treatment program at McLean Hospital in Boston.
Later that month, she killed the couple’s three children.
In the Sunday night interview, Patrick also described the heartbreaking final hours he spent with Callan.
After learning that the infant was still alive, Patrick raced to the hospital, clinging to hope that at least one of his children might survive.
Cora and Dawson were found dead at the family home. Callan survived the initial attack but died four days later at the hospital, Patrick said.
“I really thought there was a chance that Callan would live,” Patrick said, visibly emotional.
‘And remember just thinking, “Just gimme one. Just gimme one kid,” and I would raise him as best I could, and I would give him the best life I possibly could. I’d tell him about his brother and sister.
‘And I was holding out hope for that. And then when I got to the hospital, I saw the doctor. I saw the look on her face, and I knew that it wasn’t going to be a good prognosis.
‘Callan’s heart kept beating for four days. I’m so grateful for those four days that I had with him. And I’m so grateful he hung on.’
Patrick told Douthat that he spoke to his baby son in those four days, telling him that he was ‘sorry’.
He also said he experienced suicidal thoughts and was content with not making it to his next birthday following their deaths.
‘There was a time where I didn’t think I would live to see my 35th birthday, and I was completely fine with it,’ he said.
Patrick recalled seeing Clancy’s mental health deteriorate in the lead-up to the killings.
Patrick testified at Clancy’s trial that she had asked him to go to collect a takeout order and medicine for Cora on the evening of the killings.
Clancy has never denied killing the kids, but did plead not guilty by reason of insanity, citing severe postpartum depression and psychosis.
Toward the end of the interview, Patrick was joined by his new wife Dr Rachel Danis. They got married in April in New York City, and said that that are ‘starting a family’ without confirming if they are currently expecting
During his interview, he admitted that getting on the stand was ‘very difficult’ and that he suffered a severe anxiety attack just before the court heard the 911 call he made that fateful night.
The public was not allowed to hear the call, but everyone inside the courtroom, including Patrick, did.
‘We did take a break right before they played the 911 call, which I knew was gonna be just horrific,’ he recalled.
‘And I went to a back room, and I started having this massive traumatic panic attack.
‘My heart was pounding. And they put me in an ambulance they offered me some medication, but I said, “I– I don’t want it, because I want to go back and I want to finish this so I can be done with this”. And I went back and I finished the testimony.’
Toward the end of the interview, Patrick was joined by his new wife Dr Rachel Danis.
They got married in April in New York City, and said that they are ‘starting a family’ without confirming if they are currently expecting.
‘I think every parent can agree, you have different relationships with your kids, but they’re all your kids. And I can’t wait to tell them about their brothers and sister,’ Patrick said.
