Massachusetts mother goes on trial for killing her three children
A Massachusetts jury heard dueling accounts of why mother Lindsey Clancy killed her three young children in 2023.
Patrick Clancy said things seemed to finally be looking up in the hours before the children died.
Taking to the stage at the trial of his ex-wife Lindsay Clancy, Patrick described how Lindsay Clancy had been living her “best days” before she was accused of murdering their three children, Cora, 5. Dawson, 3; Lindsey, 35, is charged with murder in the strangulation death, but has pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
While testifying in a Massachusetts courtroom on July 27, Patrick detailed the days and hours leading up to her children’s deaths. He described how Lindsay’s mental state began to deteriorate about four months after giving birth to Callan.
But on the morning of that fateful January day, he said, her condition seemed to be improving.
“She seemed happy,” Patrick said of Lindsay’s mood. “She was having her best days.”
Prosecutors allege that Lindsey premeditated the murder. The defense has argued that she is not criminally responsible (also known as an insanity defense) because of postpartum depression and mental illness.
Mental health experts say Clancy’s case sparked a national conversation about postpartum mental health, and Patrick’s testimony illustrates the unpredictable nature of some mental health issues in general.
People’s moods and mental states can change from moment to moment, especially in severe cases, and symptoms don’t always appear in a linear fashion, experts say.
“When you have a psychotic episode, it’s common for symptoms to wax and wane,” says Latisha O’Connor, a licensed clinical social worker and certified perinatal mental health provider. “Some days you’re like, ‘Oh, okay, this is okay. I can handle this.’ Other days, you feel like you can’t get through it, and you’re completely on guard and feeling unsafe.”
Lindsay Clancy, Patrick’s Testimony, and When Life Takes a Scary Turn
In September 2022, Lindsay sought treatment for anxiety and was eventually prescribed antidepressants, Patrick testified. But her anxiety wasn’t improving, so the prescription told Lindsay to double the dose, he added.
“During that time, her condition continued to deteriorate,” Patrick said.
Lindsey’s symptoms did not improve, so she took additional medication. She was also institutionalized for suicidal thoughts and admitted to a psychiatric hospital after confiding in Patrick that she had “intrusive thoughts” about harming her children or having something bad happen to them.
On the day the children died, Patrick worked in the basement office and Lindsey played outside with the children, building snowmen in the garden. That night, Lindsay texted Patrick and asked if he wanted takeout dinner. He emailed her the order and she called it. Everything seemed to be going well for him, he said.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Life can change in an instant, and a person in an unstable mental state may appear to be improving before rapidly deteriorating. For example, depression is not linear. Sometimes there are good days before catastrophically bad ones. The same is true for postpartum mental health issues such as postpartum depression, anxiety, and even psychosis.
Psychotherapist Stephanie Serkis says, “People who suffer from postpartum psychosis are in a mental health crisis and need to be seen immediately.”
What is postpartum psychosis?
Most people are familiar with terms like “baby blues” and postpartum depression. But we rarely talk about postpartum psychosis, a more severe illness that affects about 1 to 2 in 1,000 mothers after giving birth.
According to experts, the symptoms are:
- Delusion.
- Hallucination.
- Extreme depression or flat feeling.
- Decreased need for, or inability to sleep.
- Paranoia and/or extreme suspicion.
- Severe mood swings.
Postpartum psychosis can include symptoms of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or anxiety, but the main difference is “symptom severity,” Jessica McNair, a certified professional counselor who specializes in postpartum and perinatal mood disorders, previously told USA TODAY.
“While postpartum psychosis is always considered an emergency that requires urgent treatment and attention, postpartum depression, OCD, and anxiety can potentially be treated on an outpatient basis,” she added.
The incident has prompted some mothers to share their own experiences on social media, including hallucinations, paranoia and suicidal thoughts after giving birth. Some recalled feeling disconnected from reality and battling intrusive thoughts. Among the many personal anecdotes, these stories have one thing in common. It was the stigma that kept mothers from seeking help.
What happened in Duxbury, Massachusetts, is rare even if puerperal psychosis was a contributing factor, Abby Goldberg, a psychology professor at Clark University, previously told USA TODAY. Postpartum Support International states that 4% of postpartum psychosis patients commit infanticide and 5% die by suicide.
But she added that the conversation surrounding the case highlights the lack of “mental health support for new parents because the focus is on the child’s health.”
“Women who have never had such thoughts can experience startling and intrusive thoughts, such as self-harm or hurting their children,” Goldberg added.
Contributors: Jenna Ryu, Melina Khan
