Friends and family are defending Patrick Clancy against what they describe as "heinous" conspiracy theories and online harassment as his ex-wife, Lindsay Clancy, stands trial for murdering their three young children. Lindsay Clancy, 36, is accused of strangling their children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, with exercise bands in their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home in January 2023.
Lindsay Clancy denies criminal responsibility, asserting she was experiencing severe postpartum psychosis and was overmedicated at the time of the killings. Her trial in Plymouth Superior Court has drawn national attention, with some public sympathy shifting toward her, viewing her as a victim of a mental health crisis.
However, this sympathy has been accompanied by baseless accusations online directed at Patrick Clancy, 39, a Microsoft salesman, and his new wife, Dr. Rachel Danis, 37. Online critics have accused Patrick of failing to recognize warning signs of Lindsay's deteriorating mental state and not protecting their children. Some viral posts have even suggested, without evidence, Patrick's involvement in the murders.
Close associates of Patrick, speaking anonymously, have stated that the rumors are distressing and damaging. "The things that are going around right now are heinous. It has been really upsetting and damaging," one relative said. "Pat has always been the nicest, most supportive person ever. He loved his family, he loved his wife, and he did everything he could to support her, and this is just a really sad story."
Patrick and Rachel have also reportedly received death threats and had their personal information leaked online. A colleague of Rachel's, a fertility doctor, noted that the scrutiny had taken a toll on her, though she continues to manage her life and career. "It's been tough. She's hanging in there," the coworker said.
The online scrutiny intensified after Patrick moved from the Boston suburbs to Manhattan in May 2023, four months after the children's deaths. Photographs of him with Rachel began appearing online in February 2024, and the family's former Duxbury home was sold in May 2024. The couple married in April of this year in an intimate ceremony in New York City.
Those close to Patrick say he has been rebuilding his life through his faith, charity work, running, and his new marriage. However, conspiracy theorists have reportedly twisted these efforts, viewing his new relationship as a sign of detachment rather than a means of coping with grief. Others have accused him of neglect for leaving Lindsay alone with the children, despite assurances from her doctors that she posed no danger.
"The internet mobs are going nuts," a friend of Patrick's stated. "These people are insane. It's awful because Pat has been through enough already."
A friend of Rachel's family defended Patrick, saying, "He had three kids, was working his ass off. She [Lindsay] was tired. She was up at night. He obviously didn't realize how bad it was. And that's something he's got to live with for the rest of his life. But it's called 20/20 hindsight."
Prosecutors have not accused Patrick Clancy of any wrongdoing. He testified as a witness in the trial, reportedly becoming emotional on the stand. During his testimony, he described Lindsay as a devoted mother whose mental state deteriorated rapidly, a crisis that those around her did not fully comprehend in time.
Patrick's relative suggested the online rumors distract from the larger issues of Lindsay's mental health crisis and the children's deaths, calling for systemic changes in the healthcare system, particularly regarding mood disorders around childbirth. Patrick established the Heard Foundation in 2024 to honor his children and improve care for such conditions.
Jurors are now tasked with determining whether Lindsay Clancy was legally insane at the time of the killings or should be held fully criminally responsible. A first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life without parole. If found not guilty by reason of insanity, she would be committed indefinitely to a state psychiatric hospital.