A Massachusetts judge has blocked the defense team for Lindsay Clancy from calling witnesses who have experienced postpartum psychosis in her upcoming murder trial. Clancy, 35, faces three counts of murder and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the deaths of her three children: Cora, five; Dawson, three; and eight-month-old Callan.
Prosecutors allege that Clancy strangled her children with exercise bands on January 24, 2023. The defense does not dispute the act itself but argues that Clancy was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and was overmedicated at the time, and therefore should be found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington had sought to call more than a dozen women who claimed to have experienced similar conditions, arguing their testimony could help jurors understand Clancy's alleged mental state. Reddington stated that hearing from individuals who have experienced command hallucinations could help jurors believe Clancy's claims. He noted that 15 individuals had come forward, willing to testify about their experiences with postpartum psychosis, hallucinations, or drug use, and their "victimization by the medical system."
However, Plymouth Superior Court Judge William F. Sullivan sided with prosecutors, who argued that allowing such witnesses would be prejudicial and could lead to a "trial within a trial." Prosecutors contended that some proposed witnesses, who did not harm their children despite experiencing postpartum issues, could confuse the jury.
Sullivan ruled that expert witnesses can provide jurors with the necessary information about postpartum mental illness. The judge did, however, allow Clancy's husband and the children's father, Patrick Clancy, to testify for the defense. Patrick Clancy has previously stated he believes his wife killed their children after hearing a male voice instructing her to do so and to take her own life.
Jurors will also hear the 911 call Patrick Clancy made to authorities upon discovering his children. Prosecutors have used details from the 911 call and the condition of the exercise bands found on the children to argue against the defense's theory, suggesting the bands were manually pulled until the children died, demonstrating a deliberate and cruel act.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin on July 20, with prospective jurors expected to be questioned about their mental health history. The trial is anticipated to last between four and six weeks.