The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy saw a courtroom dispute Tuesday over the defense's request to add a former McLean Hospital employee to the witness list. The employee, identified as Emily Thorndike, had publicly accused hospital witnesses of spreading "lies and misrepresentations" about the psychiatric facility where Clancy was treated.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington argued that Thorndike, a former clinical social worker, could offer testimony to counter the prosecution's portrayal of McLean Hospital as a "five star" institution with ample treatment options that Clancy allegedly refused. Reddington stated that the jury might have been left with the impression that the hospital, affiliated with Harvard, was overflowing with staff eager to treat Clancy, who he suggested was not fully engaging with care.

Reddington found Thorndike after she posted a TikTok video expressing her inability to stand by "the lies and the misrepresentations from that witness stand about McLean Hospital."

Prosecutors countered that Thorndike had left McLean approximately a year before Clancy's treatment, lacked firsthand knowledge of Clancy's case, and had been following the trial online before posting her opinions. They argued that her testimony would be irrelevant.

Judge William Sullivan expressed hesitation about allowing Thorndike to assess the quality of care at the hospital, quipping, "This is not Tripadvisor." However, he acknowledged that the narrower issue of hospital staffing and available programs presented a "closer call." The judge took the defense's motion under advisement and has not yet ruled on whether Thorndike will be allowed to testify.

Separately, the trial heard testimony detailing desperate messages Clancy sent to her psychiatric nurse practitioner, Rebecca Jollotta, in late 2022. These messages described worsening depression, intrusive thoughts, and concerns about medication changes. On November 30, Clancy reported her depression had worsened, stating she was "not at the point of being suicidal" but felt she "can’t go on like this" and was experiencing "completely hopeless and unmotivated" feelings.

By December 1, Clancy reported having "very intrusive thoughts that I never had before" and requested a medication change. She apologized for repeatedly contacting the clinic, citing the "scary, very scary, stressful time for me." Early on December 2, she conveyed waking with "horribly intrusive thoughts of wanting it to be all over." Later that day, she expressed a willingness to "try anything," feeling that different medications were being tried for her insomnia and that she felt "completely numb."

Following a period without Ativan, Clancy reported on December 3 that she experienced "horrible intrusive thoughts and felt deeply depressed." She stated that after taking 0.5 mg of Ativan, the thoughts disappeared, and she "feel[s] good."

Jollotta testified that she interpreted these messages as symptoms of depression and anhedonia, rather than explicit suicidal ideation, and did not direct Clancy to seek immediate emergency care.