Lindsay Clancy’s Husband May Testify in Children’s Death Trial

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

The husband of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children, is expected to take the stand in support of her at her upcoming trial.

Clancy, 35, a former nurse, is set to face trial this week in the deaths of her children: 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday morning in Plymouth Superior Court.

Patrick Clancy is among more than 200 potential witnesses who may be called in the case. He and Lindsay Clancy have said the medical professionals treating her misdiagnosed and overmedicated her, leading to hallucinations in which she heard voices telling her to kill her children.

Those claims are at the center of lawsuits alleging that providers failed to identify her worsening postpartum psychosis before the fatal events unfolded.

In an amended complaint filed in Norfolk Superior Court, Lindsay Clancy claims a group of psychiatric providers misdiagnosed her, failed to adequately treat what she describes as bipolar disorder with postpartum onset, and prescribed a shifting mix of medications that allegedly intensified her symptoms before the Jan. 24, 2023, deaths of her children.

The complaint alleges medical malpractice and negligence, arguing that the defendants did not recognize that Clancy’s reported “intrusive thoughts” were auditory hallucinations that made her a danger to herself and her children.

“Lindsay Clancy did everything a mother in her situation could do,” the lawsuit says, alleging she sought treatment, went to emergency rooms, contacted crisis services, admitted herself to hospitals and repeatedly reported her worsening symptoms.

The filing offers a medical-failure narrative of the months before the killings, portraying Clancy, a registered nurse who worked in labor and delivery at Massachusetts General Hospital, as a woman unraveling.

According to the complaint, Clancy began showing signs of hypomania soon after giving birth to Callan in May 2022.

By about 12 weeks postpartum, the filing says, Clancy’s condition shifted into severe anxiety, depression, exhaustion and insomnia. She was allegedly sleeping only a few hours a night and struggling with basic daily activities.

The lawsuit says Clancy first sought psychiatric care in September 2022 and was prescribed Zoloft. After the dose was increased, she allegedly went 48 hours without sleep, developed racing thoughts and suffered worsening anxiety.

The lawsuit alleges that these symptoms should have triggered concern for antidepressant-induced activation and possible bipolar disorder. Instead, the suit alleges, Clancy was moved through a series of medications, including Prozac, Ambien, Remeron, Klonopin, Seroquel, Trazodone, Valium and Amitriptyline, without proper coordination among her providers.

The complaint claims the providers failed to obtain a complete psychiatric history, failed to communicate with one another and failed to recognize that antidepressants appeared to be worsening her symptoms.

In late November 2022, after taking Remeron, Clancy allegedly became dissociated, disoriented and unsure what was real, according to the filing.

Days later, after starting Seroquel, she allegedly developed suicidal ideation and began hearing a voice telling her she would not be the same and wanted to die.

Her husband, Patrick, allegedly contacted nurse practitioner Rebecca Jollotta’s office on Dec. 15 to report that his wife had suffered a “devastating week” and was hearing voices all day, the complaint says.

The filing also alleges Lindsay Clancy told family members she had thoughts of harming the children. At the same time, she allegedly believed people could hear her thoughts and feared she would be locked in a hospital and lose her children.

Clancy went to Massachusetts General Hospital on Dec. 20, then entered a partial hospitalization program at Women & Infants Hospital in Rhode Island, the lawsuit says.

The complaint alleges Dr. Zobeida Diaz concluded Clancy did not have postpartum depression and rejected bipolar disorder despite severe depression and anxiety scores.

Days later, Clancy admitted herself to McLean Hospital on New Year’s Eve. The complaint says she was placed on a locked unit with suicide checks but did not see a doctor until Jan. 3 because of the holiday weekend. She was discharged Jan. 5 after a five-day stay.

Back in outpatient care, the lawsuit says, Clancy continued to deteriorate.

On Jan. 16, she allegedly reported hallucinations saying, “You should harm the children” and “You should kill yourself.” Tufts then prescribed Amitriptyline, another antidepressant, according to the complaint.

On Jan. 23, the suit says, Dr. Jennifer Tufts increased the Amitriptyline dose. That night, Clancy allegedly did not sleep.

The next day, the complaint alleges, Clancy was severely depressed and experiencing nonstop suicidal hallucinations. After her husband left to pick up takeout, a commanding voice allegedly told her it was her “last chance” and ordered her to kill the children so she could kill herself.

The lawsuit claims Clancy then entered a dissociative, dream-like state before strangling the children and trying to kill herself by taking medications, cutting her wrists and neck, and jumping from a second-floor window.

Cora and Dawson died that day. Callan died three days later. Clancy has pleaded not guilty in the criminal case.

Clancy is suing Tufts, Diaz, Jollotta, Dr. Alia Goodheart, Aster Mental Health, South Shore Health System, McLean Hospital and Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island.

The lawsuit seeks damages for Clancy’s physical injuries, psychological trauma, medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, permanent disability and loss of consortium with her husband and children.

The trial will begin with jury selection on Monday, July 20 at 9 a.m.

INC News has reached out to Clancy’s attorney, Rosemary Curran Scapicchio, for comment.