Massachusetts Mother Seeks Split Trial in Murder Case

A mother from Massachusetts is asking for her murder trial to be divided into two parts. She wants a jury to separately determine if she was insane and experiencing postpartum psychosis when she allegedly killed her three children.

Lindsay Clancy is facing charges for the deaths of her children—Cora, aged 5, Dawson, aged 3, and 8-month-old Callan—who were reportedly strangled with an exercise band at their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023.

In documents submitted by her attorney, Kevin Reddington, Clancy is requesting this two-stage trial approach. The first phase would focus on her responsibility for the acts, while the second would assess her mental state at the time of the alleged crime. If the jury acquits her in the first phase, the second phase might become unnecessary.

Clancy is set to appear in court in Plymouth later today.

Her legal team is also working out logistical issues regarding her transport to the courthouse since she is paraplegic and uses a wheelchair. She became paralyzed after a suicide attempt that followed the deaths of her children.

Reddington has additionally requested that any psychiatric evaluation conducted by a prosecution expert be videotaped, allowing defense attorneys to review it later rather than attending in person.

Last month, prosecutors sought an independent evaluation after Clancy’s defense was announced, which claims she was not guilty due to her mental state at the time of the incident.

Clancy alleges in her lawsuit that a series of doctors failed to recognize her struggle with bipolar disorder while prescribing her a combination of medications between October and December 2022. These included Zoloft, Trazodone, Prozac, and others.

The lawsuit claims that around the time of the killings, she began hearing voices, one of which suggested she was dealing with a “psychopath.” This escalated her already fragile mental state.

She states that she wasn’t diagnosed with bipolar disorder until over a year post-arrest, despite the fact that antidepressants can often exacerbate such conditions.

Her husband, Patrick Clancy, has also initiated a separate lawsuit against the healthcare providers, alleging that she was excessively medicated leading up to the tragedy.

During a December hearing where Clancy appeared via video, her lawyer expressed concerns about the difficulties of daily court appearances, emphasizing the need for ambulance transport. He also cautioned that she might attempt suicide during the proceedings.

Since her arrest, Clancy has been under suicide watch at Tewkesbury State Hospital.