Lindsay Clancy Trial: Murder, Mental Health, and the Postpartum Psychosis Defense

On January 24, 2023, Lindsay Clancy, 35, strangled her three children—Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months—in the basement of their Duxbury, Massachusetts home. After the killings she slashed her wrists and neck, jumped from a second-story window and was left partially paralyzed. She has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder and is asserting an insanity defense based on postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors argue the murders were premeditated and that she sought to kill herself and the children because she did not trust anyone else to care for them.

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Clancy, a former labor-and-delivery nurse, began experiencing postpartum anxiety and depression after Callan’s birth in May 2022. She saw psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Tufts starting in September 2022, receiving medication adjustments for insomnia, anxiety and depressive symptoms. On October 3, 2022 she requested an extension of maternity leave, citing “postpartum anxiety/depression.”

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In early January 2023 she entered a five-day stay at McLean Hospital. Psychiatrist Dr. Alia Goodheart diagnosed insomnia, noted “numbness” and “anxiety,” and observed that Clancy was “future-oriented” and “clearly invested in her children.” She was discharged after requesting to return home for a planned birthday celebration. The day before the killings, Clancy told Dr. Tufts she felt “a little more anxious” but denied any thoughts of harming anyone.

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Following the murders, Clancy was hospitalized for severe injuries, underwent cardiac arrest, received multiple blood transfusions, and was left paralyzed from the waist down.

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• Prosecutors emphasize the method of strangulation with exercise bands and the timing of the husband’s departure.

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• Defense attorney Kevin Reddington maintains that Clancy was experiencing a psychotic break, hearing “command hallucinations,” and asserts that her providers failed to diagnose or treat her condition adequately.

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• Judge William F. Sullivan ensured Clancy understood courtroom procedures, noting her “yes, your honor” response to a stipulation agreement and warning attorneys about “hot-mic” comments.

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• Psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Tufts testified that Clancy showed “no signs of psychosis” and denied suicidal or homicidal thoughts in the weeks before the killings.

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• Psychiatrist Dr. Alia Goodheart testified that she observed “no reason to believe” Clancy was unreliable and described her as a “caring mother.”

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• Reddington questioned why McLean Hospital did not obtain a fuller picture of Clancy’s condition before discharge, suggesting the facility “failed” to assess her risk.

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• Former McLean social worker Emily Thorndike, cited in a motion, accused the prosecutor of “lying and gaslighting” about the hospital’s care and argued that the “five-star” portrayal of McLean was inaccurate.

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• Prosecutors cite psychiatrist testimony that Clancy exhibited “no signs of psychosis,” while the defense argues postpartum psychosis was present but missed.

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• Dr. Tufts reported Clancy’s “poor insight” and intrusive thoughts, yet also said she never expressed a danger to others.

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• The role of medication side effects remains disputed; some witnesses noted “dark thoughts” linked to a medication, while others described her as “very good” and “invested in her children.”

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The trial resumes on Monday with the defense’s cross-examination of Dr. Tufts and testimony from forensic psychiatrist Phillip Resnick, an expert on filicide. The jury’s verdict will determine whether the postpartum-psychosis claim absolves Clancy or results in a life-without-parole sentence.

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