Massachusetts mother goes on trial for killing her three children
A Massachusetts jury heard dueling accounts for why mother Lindsay Clancy killed her three young children in 2023.
Lindsay Clancy had “one of her best days” before she allegedly killed her three children, her ex-husband said during the first day of testimony in her murder trial.
Patrick Clancy recounted the months, days and hours leading up to their children’s January 2023 deaths while testifying in a Massachusetts courtroom on July 27.
Lindsay Clancy, 35, is facing murder charges in the strangulation deaths of Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months. She has pleaded not guilty to all three counts.
Prosecutors allege that she methodically planned the murders by sending her husband to pick up medication and takeout, and then strangling the children with exercise bands at their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home. After the alleged killings, Lindsay Clancy cut her wrists and neck and jumped out of a second-story window, leaving her paralyzed.
The defense argues that she lacks criminal responsibility – also known as an insanity defense – because she was suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis at the time of the killings.
During the first day of testimony, Patrick Clancy faced questions from the prosecution. With no proceedings on July 28, Patrick Clancy is expected to return to the stand when the trial resumes on Wednesday, July 29. A slew of other witnesses will be called in the trial, which is expected to last up to six weeks.
Here’s what to know about the first day of testimony.
Patrick Clancy details Lindsay Clancy’s medical treatment in months before murders
During his hours-long testimony on July 27, Patrick Clancy said his ex-wife’s mental health began noticeably worsening around September 2022, roughly four months after giving birth to Callan.
In September 2022, about one month before Lindsay was set to return to her job as a nurse, she sought care for her anxiety, ultimately being prescribed an antidepressant, Patrick, who has since remarried and moved to New York City, testified.
After she began taking the medication, Patrick said her anxiety was not improving, and she began struggling to sleep. Her prescriber then told Lindsay to double the dose, Patrick testified.
“Over that period of time, she just kept getting worse and worse,” Patrick said.
After Lindsay’s symptoms did not improve, she went to additional medical providers for specialized perinatal care, Patrick testified. They also prescribed additional anti-anxiety and antidepressant medications.
Reddington said in his opening statement that Lindsay was prescribed more than a dozen different medications by various providers from September 2022 to January 2023.
Prosecutors allege that she took few, if any, doses of many of the medications she was prescribed. Defense lawyer Kevin Reddington and Patrick Clancy both said she experienced negative side effects from some of the medications.
Lindsay Clancy’s ex-husband testifies about her hospitalizations
Patrick Clancy also testified about several instances when his ex-wife was hospitalized between November 2022 and January 2023.
The first time, on Nov. 16, 2022, Lindsay visited an emergency room after not sleeping for 48 hours, Patrick said. Prosecutors alleged that Lindsay did not disclose to hospital staff that she had consumed a marijuana gummy.
In December 2022, Lindsay was admitted to Massachusetts General Hospital for suicidal thoughts. From there, she went to a facility in Rhode Island for specialized postpartum treatment, where she stayed for one day after doctors recommended that “the program wasn’t right for her,” Patrick testified.
That month, Lindsay also told her then-husband that she had “intrusive thoughts” about harming the children or something bad happening to them, but she said she did not plan to hurt them, Patrick said.
On New Year’s Eve 2022, he and Lindsay decided she should be admitted to McLean Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts.
“I was exhausted,” Patrick said. “I said, ‘I think it’s time to go to McLean.’ We didn’t have a diagnosis. We just didn’t know what was wrong. I was hoping that McClean could evaluate her and try to figure out the best path forward.”
When asked about his ex-wife’s time at McLean, Patrick recounted Lindsay saying she did not see a doctor until the third day of her five-day stay.
Lindsay asked doctors to discharge her on Jan. 5 because she wanted to prepare for daughter Cora’s upcoming birthday party, a prosecutor said. Patrick Clancy said he was unaware that she asked to be discharged.
Patrick Clancy recounts day of his children’s deaths
On the day of the children’s deaths, Lindsay Clancy brought her daughter, Cora, to the pediatrician for her 5-year checkup, Patrick Clancy testified.
At home, where Patrick cared for the two other children, he texted a photo of Dawson to his then-wife. The 3-year-old was excited because he fully dressed himself for the first time that morning, Patrick said.
Throughout the day, Patrick worked from his basement office while Lindsay played outside with the children, building a snowman in their yard.
By that evening, Lindsay texted Patrick asking if he wanted to get takeout for dinner. He texted her his order, which she called in.
Before the end of his testimony on Monday, Patrick Clancy recounted his last moments with his children. Before leaving to pick up dinner, he rocked Callan on his knees and kissed Cora on the head, while Dawson was eating chicken nuggets on the couch, he said.
When asked about his wife’s mood that day, Patrick said, “She seemed happy.”
“She was having one of her best days,” he said.
Contributing: Peter Blandino, USA TODAY Network
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.