The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy encountered a sudden delay when Judge William Sullivan unexpectedly excused the 18 jurors for the day on Aug. 19 due to an unforeseen circumstance at Plymouth Superior Court.
Addressing the court, Judge Sullivan instructed jurors not to speculate about the reason for the sudden adjournment. He told the 18 jury members that the situation was unexpected, instructed them not to hold it against either side, and said it was simply something the court had to handle.
The judge did not provide further details regarding what caused the disruption. Court officials at Plymouth Superior Court did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the pause in proceedings.
Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the 2023 deaths of her daughter Cora, 5, and her sons Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months. The former labor and delivery nurse has not denied killing her children, but defense attorney Kevin Reddington is arguing she cannot be held criminally responsible because she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.
Postpartum psychosis is a severe perinatal mental disorder that can cause hallucinations, paranoia, and severe cognitive impairment after giving birth. Plymouth Superior Court is the county trial court in Massachusetts handling major felony trials, located near Duxbury where the Clancy family lived.
Husband Testifies on Mental Health Struggles
Patrick Clancy, 35, the defendant's now-ex-husband and a Microsoft sales executive, was the first witness called when the murder trial began on July 27. He testified that his former wife struggled with her mental health after giving birth to Callan in May 2023.
Patrick told the court that Clancy had also sought treatment after Dawson was born in 2019, but noted that it did not last very long. He described a major decline in her condition in December 2023 after she began taking a new medication, which was one of several prescribed to her starting in September.
According to Patrick, Clancy confided in him that she was experiencing intrusive thoughts about harming their children and herself. He testified that he did not worry about the children's safety at the time because she did not appear to have any intention of actually hurting them.
On Dec. 31, Clancy went to the emergency room at Massachusetts General Hospital due to ongoing thoughts of suicide, Patrick testified. She was admitted to an affiliated psychiatric facility and discharged on Jan. 5, after which her mood seemed much better.
Events Leading to the Deaths
Recalling the day of the killings on Jan. 24, 2023, Patrick testified that Clancy seemed to be having one of her best days. He said she built a snowman in the yard, played with the children, and appeared to be in a good mood.
Earlier that morning, Clancy took Cora to a doctor's appointment while Patrick texted her a photograph of Dawson after he dressed himself completely for the first time. Patrick testified he felt hopeful following her hospital discharge, noting she was more active and able to participate in daily activities.
Before leaving their Duxbury home to pick up dinner and medication for Cora, Patrick kissed one of his children on the head and said he would be right back. Prosecutors allege Clancy deliberately sent her husband on errands to clear the house.
Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham stated in her opening argument that Clancy deliberately and meticulously strangled the three children with exercise bands. Prosecutors said Clancy then jumped out of a second-story window at the home, suffering a fall that left her permanently paralyzed from the sternum down.
Testifying on July 29, Patrick said no medical professional had warned him against leaving Clancy alone with their children. He told the court he did not know what psychosis was until after the tragedy occurred.
Jurors also heard an audio recording of Patrick's seven-minute 911 call from July 29 testimony. In the recording, Patrick can be heard telling the dispatcher, who repeatedly asked what happened, "She killed the kids!" after finding Clancy in the yard and the children unresponsive in the basement.
Diary Entries and Medical Records
Excerpts from Clancy's personal diary were read to the jury on Aug. 5 by her defense lawyer. In her writings, Clancy expressed feeling incredibly sad and guilty about not breastfeeding Callan.
"I want help," Clancy wrote in one journal entry. "I want to be well." In another entry, she wrote about experiencing severe cognitive difficulty, stating, "I have crazy brain fog. I feel like I can't make a plan. I live moment to moment waiting for the next nap time. I'm terrified of Cal getting overtired now because I feel can't help him."
Forensic toxicologist Justin Brower testified on Aug. 5 regarding blood tests conducted after Clancy was hospitalized. His analysis found traces of the antidepressant mirtazapine, the mood stabilizer lamotrigine, the antidepressant trazodone, and quetiapine, a medication used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and severe depression.
Brower testified that only the quetiapine level was slightly elevated, but clarified it was not at a toxic or suicidal concentration. He stated the blood levels were not consistent with an overdose of pills before a suicide attempt, though he acknowledged under defense cross-examination that toxicology results do not tell the entire story.
Defense attorney Reddington stated in his opening argument on July 28 that Clancy has bipolar disorder and that prescribed medications worsened her mental state. He told jurors that on the day of the killings, Clancy heard a voice telling her, "This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself."
The defense team also called clinical and forensic psychologist Paul Zeizel to the witness stand. Zeizel testified regarding Clancy's mental state in the months prior to the incident after conducting a detailed review of her medical records.
Witnesses Describe Former Nurse
Elaine Rossi, the Clancy family nanny, testified on Aug. 5 that she had no concerns regarding Clancy's ability to care for her children. "I observed a wonderful mom who loved her kids," Rossi testified. "She was concerned about their safety, and Callan eating and sleeping. She was a wonderful mother."
Former colleague Andrea Hennigan, who worked with Clancy at Massachusetts General Hospital, testified on Aug. 6 about a lunch conversation after Callan was born. Hennigan told the court Clancy stated she did not plan to return to her job as a labor and delivery nurse because she was not in a mental state to take care of patients.
Hennigan testified that Clancy spoke about struggling with insomnia and not feeling like herself, using terms like brain fog. She added that Clancy texted her in January 2023 stating she was experiencing bad or negative side effects from her medication.
Courtroom Incidents and Text Exchanges
Tensions surfaced during proceedings on Aug. 6 when Clancy broke down sobbing as prosecutors showed autopsy photographs of eight-month-old Callan, prompting Judge Sullivan to order a brief morning recess.
The following morning, Aug. 7, Reddington raised an objection to the judge, claiming a prosecutor was picked up on a hot microphone saying "shut her up" while autopsy images were presented. Reddington told the court, "This is not like Handmaid's Tale. You can't tape her mouth shut."
Prosecution attorneys denied the allegation after reviewing the recording, explaining that the prosecutor actually said "shut it off" to direct that the autopsy photos be removed from the courtroom screen.
On Aug. 14, Massachusetts State Trooper Timothy Chiappini presented evidence extracted from Clancy's mobile phone, reading her final text messages with her husband. Earlier on Jan. 24, 2023, Clancy texted Patrick a picture of Cora at the doctor's office, writing, "Her urine looked good so nothing going wrong with her kidneys, phew," to which Patrick replied, "Oh wow. You're a good momma."
At 4:53 p.m. that afternoon, Clancy texted Patrick asking, "Any chance you want to do take out from ThreeV," adding, "I didn't cook anything. It's been a long day." After Patrick replied, "Yeah," and asked about Callan's nap, Clancy answered, "It was just a short nap," before texting at 5:07 p.m. that she wanted a Mediterranean Power Bowl while Patrick chose scallops and pork belly risotto a minute later.
