Plymouth, Massachusetts – Lindsay Clancy became visibly distressed in court Wednesday as a medical examiner began detailing the autopsy of her 5-year-old daughter, Cora. Clancy, who faces first-degree murder charges in the deaths of her three children, sobbed and stated, "I can’t do this," during the testimony of Dr. Barbara Olson.
Following Clancy's emotional breakdown, Judge William Sullivan ordered a recess and asked the jury to leave the courtroom. Two individuals were observed comforting Clancy as she cried.
This is not the first instance of emotional turmoil during the trial. Earlier in the week, Sullivan called a break when Clancy began crying during testimony from another medical examiner, Renee Stonebridge, who was presenting findings from her examination of the children's bodies.
Clancy, 32, is accused of killing her children—Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan—before attempting suicide on January 24, 2023. The defense does not dispute that Clancy caused the deaths of her children. Instead, her legal team argues that she was suffering from severe postpartum depression and psychosis, exacerbated by prescribed medications, and therefore should not be held criminally responsible.
Evidence presented in court indicates that five doctors prescribed Clancy a regimen of medications prior to the children's deaths. These prescriptions included Zoloft, Valium, Trazodone, Prozac, Lamictal, Seroquel, Remeron, Klonopin, Buspirone, Ativan, Amitriptyline, and Ambien.
During opening statements, prosecutors asserted that Clancy "deliberately and meticulously" killed her children, acting with intention and rationality to achieve a specific outcome.