Lindsay Clancy's medical treatment following the deaths of her three children is costing Massachusetts taxpayers at least $620,500 per year. Clancy, who is facing ongoing psychiatric care, has been at Tewksbury Hospital for most of the three and a half years since the January 2023 incident.
The state-run Tewksbury Hospital charges approximately $1,700 per day for psychiatric patients, a rate Clancy likely qualifies for due to diagnoses including bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. If classified as a "chronic patient," the daily rate increases to $1,850, totaling at least $675,250 annually, according to Massachusetts Department of Public Health figures.
Her daily costs could be even higher due to a constant suicide watch, which requires 24-hour attendant care. The exact cost remains undetermined as the Department of Public Health did not comment on specific figures.
Clancy, 36, claimed she was suffering from severe postpartum depression and hallucinations that led her to strangle her children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, before attempting suicide. Her defense centered on the argument of legal insanity, while prosecutors contended that her actions, including planning the murders and asking her husband to run an errand beforehand, indicated criminal intent.
Her trial concluded with a mistrial on September 4, after a jury could not reach a unanimous decision. The outcome leaves her legal future uncertain until a new trial date is set. If found not guilty by reason of insanity, Clancy would likely spend an extended period in a state-run psychiatric facility.
According to legal assessments, individuals found not guilty by reason of insanity can remain committed to psychiatric hospitals indefinitely, depending on whether doctors deem them a danger to themselves or the public. A judge previously indicated that Clancy could remain committed for the rest of her life.
Should Clancy be committed to a facility like Bridgewater State Hospital, which costs approximately $367,007 per patient annually, the long-term cost to taxpayers could reach tens of millions of dollars. In contrast, annual per-patient costs in Massachusetts prisons typically range from $100,000 to $250,000.