In the final weeks before strangling her three children and attempting suicide, Lindsay Clancy conducted Google searches that suggest she was experiencing severe mental distress, including symptoms of psychosis and suicidal ideation. The searches, presented as evidence in her ongoing murder trial, offer a detailed look into her state of mind leading up to the January 2023 deaths of Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months.
On January 19, five days before the killings, Clancy searched for terms including 'hallucinations,' 'psychosis symptoms,' and 'schizophrenia.' She also searched 'On Seroquel [a bipolar drug] feel like I can't have a conversation,' according to evidence presented in Plymouth County Superior Court. These searches could be significant for the defense, which argues Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis and depression and is not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors contend she was of sound mind and premeditated the killings. They have suggested that Clancy's claims of hearing voices emerged only after the killings.
Searches for Self-Harm and Mental Health
Further searches on January 20 included 'intrusive' – possibly referring to intrusive thoughts – and 'can you treat a sociopath.' On the same day, she made three searches that appeared to relate directly to suicide: 'Where is the carotid artery,' 'How to slit your throat to die,' and 'Can you turn airbags off Kia Sorento.' Clancy was driving a Kia Sorento at the time. Four days later, she killed her children and then attempted to end her own life by cutting her wrists and neck and jumping from a second-story window.
Earlier searches also indicated distress. On December 29, 2022, Clancy searched for 'suicide.' Two days later, on December 31, she searched for 'insomnia.' Between December 2022 and January 2023, she also searched terms such as 'bipolar' and 'postpartum depression,' along with information about the 13 medications she had been prescribed and their side effects.
Signs of Normal Life Amidst Distress
Despite the disturbing searches related to her mental state and self-harm, Clancy's online activity also showed signs of her continuing to engage in daily life as a mother. On the same days she was researching mental health symptoms, she also searched for 'organic baby food,' 'child with bloated belly,' and 'UTI symptoms children.' She was also planning her daughter Cora's fifth birthday party, searching for terms like 'premade goody bags,' 'best kids movies,' and 'Nova trampoline park.'
In the early hours of New Year's Day, Clancy checked into McLean Hospital for psychiatric help, staying for five days before her discharge. An iPhone note presented in court revealed her internal struggle: 'I'm sad and depressed because I'm not able to parent my third child like my first. I want to treat every one of my babies like my first, but I know that's not a feasible possibility. I want to feel happy, but it would be nice to feel authentically happy and not fake.'
Conflicting Claims and Trial Focus
A cell phone forensics expert confirmed that no searches for 'ways to kill another person' were found on Clancy's phone, a claim previously made by the prosecution that the defense sought to strike. The defense has argued that any apparent thoughts of violence were directed at herself.
The trial also addressed an earlier search for 'suicide methods' on Patrick Clancy's Surface Pro in August 2022. Prosecutors attribute this search to Lindsay Clancy, while the defense suggests Patrick may have accidentally accessed the page while searching for country singer Tom T. Hall, who died by suicide. This search occurred before Clancy began seeking treatment for postpartum mental health issues.
The court has heard testimony including graphic autopsy photos and Clancy's messages to her doctor, during which she broke down in sobs. The judge has instructed the jury to avoid news coverage and to take care of themselves during a three-day recess.