Prosecutors in the trial of Lindsay Clancy presented Apple Watch and iPhone data that they argue tracks her movements on the day her three young children were killed. The digital evidence, including heart rate and stair-climbing logs, was detailed by a digital-forensics expert on Monday, the 14th day of Clancy's trial.
Ian Whiffin, an expert with Cellebrite who analyzed data from Clancy's iPhone 13, testified that her Apple Watch recorded a final heart rate measurement of 57 beats per minute at 5:23:52 p.m. The device then stopped collecting health and movement data. Whiffin stated he could not provide a medical explanation for the reading or why the data collection ceased.
Clancy's iPhone, however, continued to register movement. The device detected movement up one flight of stairs at approximately 5:33 p.m. and a second flight about five minutes later. A flight of stairs is logged when a device detects movement combined with an elevation increase of approximately 10 feet. Whiffin clarified that this data indicates the completion of one flight and then another five minutes afterward, not necessarily continuous stair climbing.
During the period when stair activity was logged, Patrick Clancy, Lindsay Clancy's husband, called his wife's phone. The call log indicated the call lasted zero seconds but was answered. Approximately one minute later, an outgoing 14-second call was placed from Clancy's locked iPhone to Patrick. He called again at 6:09 p.m., but that call went unanswered.
Prosecutors are using this combined digital evidence to reconstruct Clancy's movements and activity on January 24, 2023, the day her children Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan were found dead in their Duxbury home. The timeframe for the killings is estimated to be between approximately 5:34 p.m. and 6:09 p.m., while her husband was out of the house.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington challenged the digital evidence, emphasizing that it tracks devices, not necessarily the person carrying them. He questioned whether the phone and watch could have been set down or stopped recording while someone continued to move. Whiffin agreed that this was possible. The defense also raised questions about the accuracy of Apple Health data, noting that some measurements in tests were slightly off. Whiffin explained he removed overlapping records from his analysis to avoid double-counting stair climbs detected by both the phone and watch.
Earlier phone activity recorded by the iPhone included plotting a route via Apple Maps at 4:13 p.m. to a restaurant called 3V. An hour later, Safari was used to search for Pedia-Lax liquid stool softener, followed by a text message sent to Patrick Clancy containing the same phrase. The phone was locked around 5:15 p.m. and was not unlocked again until the call to Patrick was placed through the lock screen.
Internet searches recovered from the weeks leading up to the children's deaths included terms such as 'how quickly does Wellbutrin work,' 'ketamine for suicidal ideation,' 'symptoms of postpartum psychosis,' and 'psychosis symptoms.'
Clancy has pleaded not guilty to charges of strangling her three children, with her defense team arguing she was not criminally responsible due to postpartum psychosis. The digital data presented by the prosecution offers a detailed, albeit incomplete, timeline of her activity on the evening of the deaths, leaving a gap after 5:38 p.m. when device records ceased.