The courtroom on Tuesday shed light on Lindsay Clancy’s “worst day,” revealing that she experienced “persistent and intrusive suicidal thoughts,” but was denied entry into an outpatient program due to concerns about overmedication, according to her lawyer.
Clancy, 35, a mother from Massachusetts, and her then-husband, Patrick, contacted a nurse on December 15, 2022, expressing that her dark thoughts were severe enough that they were considering a trip to Massachusetts General Hospital. Tragically, within a month, she killed her children before attempting suicide.
Nurse Rebecca Jolotta, who works in the perinatal behavioral clinic at South Shore Hospital, recounted that the couple described that day as “Lindsay’s worst day.”
Jolotta noted that Clancy expressed having “persistent and intrusive thoughts about suicide,” but did not actively plan to take her own life, according to the call records. The couple indicated they were “likely to go to MGH,” but Jolotta mentioned that Clancy was also contemplating a commitment to McLean Hospital, a psychiatric facility.
On that day, Clancy went to the emergency room but declined to see McLean, opting for outpatient treatment at Women’s and Infants Hospital in Rhode Island. However, when she visited the program on December 20, they turned her away, citing concerns that she might be overdosing on medications, as her attorney, Kevin Reddington, pointed out during cross-examination.
“Did you know they wouldn’t let her in because they were worried about overdose?” Reddington questioned, to which Jolotta replied she couldn’t comment, as she wasn’t affiliated with that hospital.
The following day, Jolotta advised that Clancy be admitted to a general mental health facility rather than one specializing in postpartum care. Previously, she testified about their encounter on December 6, 2022, when Clancy suggested that Patrick might suffer from bipolar disorder. Giolotta recounted Patrick’s firm assertion: “My wife is not bipolar.”
Jolotta, who had treated Clancy from November 29 to December 13, 2022, mentioned Clancy’s strong reactions to SSRIs like Zoloft and Prozac, which can be indicative of bipolar disorder. Clancy herself noted a troubling experience with Zoloft, stating, “I didn’t sleep for 48 hours, but I wasn’t tired,” a potential sign of mania.
Jolotta elaborated that Clancy’s conflicting symptoms made her suspect a “mixed state of mania and hypomania.” The nurse described how Clancy seemed overwhelmed with thoughts yet exhibited signs of depression and emotional numbness.
Despite her extensive experience dealing with postpartum issues, Jolotta affirmed she never deemed Clancy to be mentally ill. She prescribed Clancy significant quantities of psychiatric medication, which, along with prescriptions from her doctor, increased leading up to Clancy’s attempt to take her life.
Clancy had a brief stay at the facility but requested to leave to celebrate her five-year-old son Cora’s birthday. Just before the 11th day of the trial, Reddington sought to call a therapist from McLean to testify about claims of inadequate staffing during Clancy’s admission.
This therapist, Emily Thorndike, who had left McLean before Clancy’s arrival, asserted that she was aware of the understaffing during holidays from friends still working there.
Thorndike was prepared to testify about the poor conditions Clancy faced during her treatment. After hearing a psychiatrist’s testimony regarding Clancy’s stay at McLean, Reddington argued that jurors might have been misled into believing the facility was exceptional. Clancy ultimately ended the lives of Cora, Dawson, and Callan with exercise bands, inflicted wounds on herself, and attempted to jump from the second floor of her home, resulting in her paralysis.
Her defense attorney is pushing for a not guilty verdict based on insanity, citing misdiagnosis and overmedication. Both Clancy and Patrick, now remarried, have also initiated medical malpractice lawsuits against her healthcare providers for these concerns.
