Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, is on trial for killing her three children, according to court proceedings. The case has drawn attention to the defense's claim of postpartum psychosis.
Prosecutors say Clancy killed her children by strangulation on January 24, 2023. The victims were Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months. According to reports, Clancy sent her husband Patrick out for errands before the killings.
After the killings, Clancy attempted suicide by multiple methods, including jumping from a second-story window, resulting in paralysis from the waist down. She had been receiving psychiatric care for approximately four months prior to the incident, reports state.
The defense argues that Clancy suffered from postpartum psychosis and lacked criminal responsibility. They note that symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, and thoughts of harming oneself or others. Experts say most women with postpartum psychosis do not harm their children.
Prosecutors contend the killings were intentional and carefully planned. If convicted of murder, Clancy faces life in prison without parole; if found not guilty due to lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.
The case has been compared to previous incidents. In 2001, Andrea Yates drowned her five children in Texas; her initial conviction was overturned, and she was later found not guilty by reason of insanity. In 2006, Dena Schlosser was found not guilty by reason of insanity after killing her 10-month-old daughter.
Rotunno said Clancy's attorneys are likely to emphasize that her condition deteriorated even as she sought medical help. 'She was a nurse and still so out of it she didn’t know,' Rotunno said.
Lindsay and Patrick Clancy have also filed lawsuits accusing her medical providers of failing to properly diagnose and treat her condition. Patrick Clancy requested to limit public and media access to certain evidence, including the 911 call and autopsy images.
During pre-trial proceedings, defense attorney Kevin Reddington accused the prosecution of trying 'to put a circus in front of this jury,' calling its approach 'reprehensible.' Prosecutor Sprague said the defense wanted to 'rush past what happened to these children.' Judge Sullivan intervened, noting the issue was about media recording, not admissibility.