Patrick Clancy threatens legal action over ‘vile’ conspiracy theories in new statement via lawyer

As Lindsay Clancy’s murder case hangs in limbo following Friday’s mistrial, her former husband has called for an end to the “vile” conspiracy theories suggesting he “was somehow involved” in the deaths of their three children. 

“Over the past months, Patrick Clancy and his family have been subjected to a relentless, escalating and destructive defamation campaign,” Howard Cooper, one of his attorneys, said in a statement. 

Cooper blamed “minor celebrities, so-called influencers and outright conspiracy theorists who appear intent on boosting their own social media profiles and potential profit” for circulating baseless claims that implicate Patrick Clancy in the deaths of 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan. 

Lindsay Clancy, 36, does not deny she strangled all three children at home in Duxbury before paralyzing herself in a suicide attempt on Jan. 24, 2023. Her lengthy trial, which ended in a hung jury, instead focused primarily on whether she was in her right mind at the time. The defense argued she was wracked by postpartum mental illness and heard a voice in her head ordering her to kill the children and herself. 

Patrick Clancy, who has since divorced Lindsay, moved to New York, and remarried, was the first witness in his ex-wife’s trial. He had only kind words when describing Lindsay Clancy, telling jurors she was a “very dedicated” mother who was hands-on with their children. 

But internet sleuths and conspiracy theorists were quick to pore over Patrick Clancy’s testimony in search of potential inconsistencies or supposed indicators of guilt. Speaking with reporters following Friday’s mistrial, Lindsay Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, distanced himself from those conspiracy theories without explicitly debunking or denouncing them. 

“I think you can judge his credibility by that 911 call,” Reddington said, referring to Patrick Clancy’s anguished call for help after he returned home the night of the killings. The recording was played in court but barred from public release under court order. 

Appearing on “Good Morning America” Tuesday, Reddington further noted that the Clancy family was “very, very, very happy” over the summer of 2022, following Callan’s birth that May. 

“It was the top of the world for them, and the children,” he said. “And then [Lindsay] had the postpartum depression that struck at the end of September into October.”

According to Cooper, the online campaign against Patrick Clancy, “now fueled by insatiable media coverage, remains at a fever pitch and has resulted in real life threats to his reputation, livelihood, and life.” Throughout the trial, he and his current wife have been trailed by paparazzi and dogged by sordid theories about what happened in Duxbury in January 2023. 

“Patrick has no choice but to address this situation — with the clear goal of stopping injurious behavior, creating accountability for lies that are self-serving to the perpetrators, and being able to return his attention to what matters: preserving the memory of Cora, Dawson and Callan Clancy and supporting other women facing perinatal mental health challenges,” Cooper continued. 

He threatened legal action as a means of putting an end to “this spread of blatant and baseless falsehoods.” 

“Those responsible should understand that there will be consequences, and every appropriate measure will be pursued to hold them accountable, including legally,” Cooper said. “Law enforcement has been notified.”

The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office has not yet said whether it will retry Lindsay Clancy on charges of first-degree murder. Both Patrick and Lindsay Clancy also have pending civil lawsuits against several mental health care providers who treated her in the weeks and months prior to the killings. 

In a separate statement released Friday, another attorney for Patrick Clancy, David Meier, said the “prospect of reliving this tragedy through another trial is extraordinarily painful.” 

Meier added: “The loss of Patrick’s children is something from which he will never recover and from which there will never be closure.”   

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between. She has been covering the Lindsay Clancy murder case since January 2023.