The husband of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three young children, is expected to testify on her behalf at her upcoming trial. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday morning in Plymouth Superior Court for the case involving Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months.
Patrick Clancy is among more than 200 individuals who could be called to testify. Both he and his wife, Lindsay, maintain that doctors misdiagnosed and overmedicated her, leading to hallucinations that prompted her to kill their children. These claims are central to lawsuits alleging that medical professionals failed to diagnose Clancy's escalating postpartum psychosis before the January 24, 2023, tragedy.
In an amended complaint filed in Norfolk Superior Court, Lindsay Clancy alleges that a network of psychiatric providers misdiagnosed her, failed to properly treat what she states was bipolar disorder with postpartum onset, and prescribed a fluctuating regimen of medications that allegedly worsened her condition. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of medical malpractice and negligence, asserting they overlooked her reported "intrusive thoughts" as auditory hallucinations that rendered her a danger to herself and her children.
The complaint details Clancy's unraveling in the months preceding the killings. According to the filing, Clancy began showing signs of hypomania shortly after giving birth to Callan in May 2022. By approximately 12 weeks postpartum, her condition had shifted to severe anxiety, depression, exhaustion, and insomnia, with her sleeping only a few hours a night and struggling with daily activities.
Clancy first sought psychiatric care in September 2022 and was prescribed Zoloft. Following a dose increase, she allegedly experienced 48 hours without sleep, developed racing thoughts, and suffered worsening anxiety. The lawsuit claims these symptoms should have raised concerns for antidepressant-induced activation and possible bipolar disorder. Instead, the suit alleges, Clancy was moved through a series of medications, including Prozac, Ambien, Remeron, Klonopin, Seroquel, Trazodone, Valium, and Amitriptyline, without proper coordination among her providers.
The complaint further states that providers failed to obtain a complete psychiatric history, communicate with one another, and recognize that antidepressants appeared to be exacerbating her symptoms. In late November 2022, after taking Remeron, Clancy allegedly became dissociated, disoriented, and unsure of what was real. Days later, after starting Seroquel, she reportedly developed suicidal ideation and began hearing a voice telling her she would not be the same and wanted to die.
Patrick Clancy reportedly contacted a nurse practitioner's office on December 15, 2022, to report that his wife had suffered a "devastating week" and was hearing voices constantly. The filing also alleges Lindsay Clancy confided in family members about thoughts of harming her children, while simultaneously believing others could hear her thoughts and fearing institutionalization and the loss of her children.
Clancy sought care at Massachusetts General Hospital on December 20, 2022, and subsequently entered a partial hospitalization program at Women & Infants Hospital in Rhode Island. According to the lawsuit, Dr. Zobeida Diaz concluded Clancy did not have postpartum depression and rejected the possibility of bipolar disorder, despite severe depression and anxiety scores. Days later, Clancy admitted herself to McLean Hospital on New Year's Eve, where she was placed on a locked unit with suicide checks. However, she did not see a doctor until January 3 due to the holiday weekend and was discharged on January 5 after a five-day stay.
Upon returning to outpatient care, Clancy's condition continued to deteriorate. On January 16, she allegedly reported hallucinations, including voices telling her to harm the children and commit suicide. Tufts then prescribed Amitriptyline, another antidepressant. On January 23, Dr. Jennifer Tufts reportedly increased the Amitriptyline dosage. The following night, Clancy allegedly did not sleep.
The next day, January 24, 2023, the complaint alleges Clancy was severely depressed and experiencing nonstop suicidal hallucinations. After her husband left to pick up takeout food, a commanding voice allegedly told her it was her "last chance" and ordered her to kill the children so she could kill herself. The lawsuit claims Clancy then entered a dissociative, dream-like state before strangling the children and attempting suicide by taking medications, cutting her wrists and neck, and jumping from a second-floor window. Cora and Dawson died that day, and Callan died three days later. Clancy has pleaded not guilty in the criminal case.
Clancy is suing Tufts, Diaz, Jollotta, Dr. Alia Goodheart, Aster Mental Health, South Shore Health System, McLean Hospital, and Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. The lawsuit seeks damages for Clancy's physical injuries, psychological trauma, medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, permanent disability, and loss of consortium with her husband and children. Clancy herself became paraplegic after attempting suicide.