Lindsay Clancy Judge Seals 911 Call, Autopsy Photos Before Trial

A Massachusetts judge has agreed in part with a grieving father’s bid to protect some of the most graphic material expected in the murder trial of his now-ex-wife, who is accused of strangling their three young children in the family’s home.

Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan ruled Friday that members of the media and the public cannot record, show, copy or distribute Patrick Clancy’s initial 911 call or autopsy photographs of 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan Clancy.

The materials may still be shown or played for the jury during Lindsay Clancy’s trial, which is scheduled to start Monday with opening statements.

Under the two-page order, reporters are allowed to describe what they hear or see in the courtroom, but they may not broadcast, publish or otherwise reproduce the actual recording or images.

Patrick Clancy had urged Sullivan to limit the public and media from recording, airing or distributing several categories of evidence, including the 911 call, family and crime-scene photographs, autopsy images and the clothing the children were wearing.

Sullivan’s ruling narrowly blocks the reproduction or sharing of the 911 recording and autopsy photos, but it does not stop either prosecutors or the defense from presenting that evidence during the trial.

Sullivan wrote that the release or reproduction of the material would create a “substantial likelihood of harm” or another harmful consequence for Patrick Clancy and the children’s family.

Sullivan issued the ruling after hearing arguments from attorneys representing Patrick Clancy, prosecutors and Lindsay Clancy. Boston Globe Media Partners also filed a response opposing aspects of the request, according to the order.

Patrick Clancy’s 911 call is expected to provide jurors with an account of what he encountered after returning to the family’s home on Jan. 24, 2023, when the children were found unresponsive.

Lindsay Clancy is charged with murder in the January 2023 deaths of her three children inside their Duxbury, Massachusetts home.

Prosecutors allege Clancy strangled the children inside the family’s home before attempting to take her own life. Her attorneys have argued that she was suffering from severe mental illness and postpartum psychosis at the time.

A jury of 18 people — 12 women and six men — was seated Thursday after several days of questioning prospective jurors about their knowledge of the case and whether they could remain impartial.

Opening statements are scheduled for Monday in Plymouth Superior Court.