Jury selection commenced Monday in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother accused of fatally strangling her three young children in their Duxbury home in January 2023. Clancy, a former nurse, has pleaded not guilty to three murder charges.
Authorities responded to the family's home after a 911 call reporting Clancy's suicide attempt. Upon arrival, first responders discovered her children—5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and infant Callan—unconscious with significant trauma, according to Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz. Clancy was found to have attempted suicide and was subsequently paralyzed, leading to her hospitalization and current confinement in a state hospital. She appeared in court on Monday in a wheelchair.
Lindsay Clancy's defense attorneys are anticipated to pursue an insanity defense, according to reports from ABC Boston affiliate WCVB-TV. During a 2023 court hearing, Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, asserted that the killings were not premeditated and stemmed from a severe mental health crisis. He indicated that Clancy had previously experienced suicidal thoughts and had voluntarily sought treatment at a mental health facility for five days in early January 2023.
Prosecutors, however, presented a different timeline of the day of the deaths. They stated that Clancy had taken a child to a pediatrician's appointment and engaged in activities with her other children, including building a snowman. Later that day, she reportedly placed a takeout food order and asked her husband to retrieve the meal.
Clancy's husband, Patrick Clancy, has previously stated his forgiveness for his wife. In a statement shared in January 2023, he described their marriage as strong, even as her condition worsened, and expressed gratitude for her presence in his life. He did not, at the time, elaborate on the specific nature of her "condition."
The trial is estimated to last between six and eight weeks, according to WCVB-TV.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. Free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.