Lindsay Clancy addressed the court for the first time on August 4 during her murder trial, after admitting she killed her three children.
The Massachusetts mother has acknowledged killing Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan on January 24, 2023.
Her legal team is not disputing that she caused their deaths. Instead, the defense is arguing that she should not be held criminally responsible because she was allegedly experiencing postpartum psychosis when the children were fatally strangled.
Clancy’s brief response in court came as Judge William Sullivan asked whether she wanted to agree to certain facts in the case. Seated at the defense table in her wheelchair, she repeatedly answered in a quiet but clear voice.
“Yes, your honor”, she said in response when Judge William Sullivan asked if she wanted to stipulate to some facts of the case.
Those stipulations relate to chain of custody of certain pieces of evidence, including blood evidence, exercise bands used to kill the children, and DNA. In legal terms, a stipulation means both sides agree on a factual or legal point, removing the need to formally prove it through additional evidence. The stipulation should eliminate the need for a number of witnesses to testify, potentially shortening the trial significantly.
Diary entries written before the deaths have also been introduced to help show Clancy’s state of mind, according to CBS News. Earlier in the timeline presented to jurors, Clancy gave birth to her third child, Callan.
She had previously spoken publicly on social media about postpartum struggles after the births of her older children. About six weeks after Callan was born, she wrote that she felt “dialed in” while focusing on exercise, nutrition and mindset, adding that it “has made all the difference”.
As maternity leave was drawing to a close, Clancy, who worked as a labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, reportedly became anxious about returning to work. She saw two psychiatrists and was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder.
In an undated diary entry, she wrote: “Hearing him cry for one-plus hours and not intervening just about killed me. I even said the words ‘I want to die’ to Pat [her husband] while he was crying.” She also documented her struggles, writing “I feel like I’m drowning every day.”
In a November 18, 2022 entry, she described feeling mentally and physically overwhelmed. “It’s like I’m so desperate to get a mental break from taking care of everyone that my mind is trying to make something physically wrong with me.” She added, “I now have horrible insomnia and anxiety which is causing depression. I have no appetite, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I want help. I want to be well.”
Another diary passage said she felt detached from her baby. “I feel like I’m going through the motions every day,” she noted.
According to court documents, she also made notes on her phone about her difficulties bonding with all three children. “I think I sort of resent my other children because they prevent me from treating Cal like my first baby. And I know that’s not fair to them. I know that. I was feeling so depressed last evening when Cora and Dawson came home from school, I know it runs off on them, so we had a pretty rough evening, I want to feel love and connection with all my kids.”
She also wrote that she felt she had “horrible PTSD” and felt incredibly guilty for sleep training Callan, even though he was still a happy baby and the doctor assured her it was appropriate.
Several psychiatric medications were prescribed to treat her anxiety.
Clancy later underwent an evaluation at the Women and Infants Hospital Center for Women’s Behavioral Health. Prosecutors say she was not diagnosed there with postpartum depression.
Patrick Clancy told police that his wife had been experiencing suicidal thoughts and thoughts about harming the children, according to his court testimony. His testimony indicated that she struggled after the birth of their third child, and that she told him in the months before the January 2023 killings she was having thoughts of suicide and harming their kids.
Jurors have also visited the family home as part of the trial.
At one stage, Clancy admitted herself to McLean Hospital for psychiatric treatment. Prosecutors say she was released after five days because clinicians did not believe she posed an imminent risk to herself or others.
The night before the killings, Lindsay and Patrick had dinner with family friend Kyle Carney, who later told police Clancy appeared normal.
The prosecution alleges the following timeline for the day of the killings. That morning, Clancy took Cora to a pediatrician appointment. After they got home, she and Dawson played in the snow, and she sent photos of the children to Patrick and her mother.
At 4:02pm, prosecutors say she searched her phone for Miralax for children, and 11 minutes later looked up ThreeV, a restaurant in Plymouth. She then used Apple Maps to check the drive time from the family home to the restaurant.
At 4:47pm, she called a CVS in Kingston to ask whether Miralax was available. A manager told her it was not in stock, but similar products were available. That same manager later told investigators Clancy did not sound impaired and was not slurring her words.
At 4:35pm, she texted Patrick, who was working from home.
“Any chance you want to do takeout from 3V … I didn’t cook anything … It’s been a long day.”
Patrick agreed, and she told him:
“check the menu when you can”
At 5:10pm, she called ThreeV to place the order.
Five minutes later, prosecutors say she sent Patrick a message about the medication.
“Pedialax liquid stool softener.”
Patrick then left the house to collect it.
At 5:33pm, when he arrived at CVS, he called Clancy and got no answer. She phoned him back a minute later and confirmed the medication.
At 5:54pm, Patrick picked up the food from ThreeV and left.
He returned home at 6:09pm.
“The first thing he noticed was the silence,” prosecutors say. “He did not see or hear the defendant or the children.”
According to prosecutors, Patrick called out for his wife but got no response. He found the second-floor bedroom locked, eventually got inside, saw blood on the floor and an open window, then ran outside and found Clancy on the ground.
At 6:11pm, prosecutors say Patrick called 911, while Clancy spoke in the background.
“I tried to kill myself and jumped out the window.”
He then asked her where the children were.
“Where are the kids?”
“In the basement.”
During the emergency call, Patrick went downstairs, where prosecutors say he could be heard screaming in agony.
Cora and Callan were found on the floor of the den, while Dawson was discovered in Patrick’s home office.
When police arrived, Patrick allegedly told them:
“She killed the kids.”
Prosecutors argue that the killings were deliberate and methodically planned, and that Clancy was overwhelmed by the pressures of motherhood but fully understood her actions. The defense, however, contends that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible.
She was taken to hospital for treatment after suffering injuries that left her paralyzed below the waist. The three children were also rushed to hospital. According to testimony, her spinal cord was severed as a result of the fall.
If convicted of murder, Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.
The trial is currently in its second week of testimony at Plymouth Superior Court, with medical professionals and other witnesses providing evidence.