Lindsay Clancy told her husband in a phone call from her hospital room that she heard a male voice instructing her to "kill her children and kill herself," a psychologist testified Tuesday in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Dr. Paul Zeizel, a hospital psychologist, told jurors that Clancy made the statement to her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, on February 6, 2023, 13 days after the deaths of their three young children.
Clancy, 36, had been hospitalized and recovering from a suicide attempt after allegedly strangling the children with exercise cords. Zeizel testified that Clancy asked to use his phone at Brigham and Women’s hospital. During the call, she reportedly told Patrick Clancy she loved him and then related that she heard a male voice telling her she had no choice but to kill her children and herself.
Zeizel, called by the defense, stated he had visited Clancy two days prior, but she was unable to reach her husband that day. Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, is seeking a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, citing severe postpartum psychosis exacerbated by prescribed psychiatric medications. Prosecutors, however, contend that Clancy’s actions demonstrate premeditation, refuting claims of psychosis at the time of the killings.
Previous testimony from psychiatrists and medical providers indicated they did not believe Clancy was in a psychotic state. Prosecutors have emphasized that Clancy never mentioned hearing voices to any medical professionals. Reddington has suggested Clancy may have concealed the severity of her mental state out of fear of losing custody of her children. Dr. Donald Condie, a psychiatrist for the defense, speculated that Clancy might have been concerned her children would be taken away if she reported severe symptoms, though he noted he had only reviewed her medical records and was not her treating physician.
During Tuesday's proceedings, Dr. Elizabeth Laposata testified that the children likely lost consciousness within 10 seconds and died minutes later due to strangulation with elastic exercise bands. Laposata also stated that Clancy likely fell headfirst out of her second-floor bedroom window, resulting in multiple spinal fractures. Clancy is now a paraplegic and uses a wheelchair.
Dr. Condie also testified that Clancy participated in a 5K race hours after delivering her third child, Callan, in May 2022. Clancy's former mother-in-law, Sue Clancy, described Lindsay as "very nurturing, very loving" and a "wonderful mom." However, Sue Clancy also testified that Lindsay had been struggling with mental health in the months leading up to the children's deaths and that the family had assisted her in seeking care at a perinatal clinic. "She was begging for help," Sue Clancy told jurors.
Lindsay Clancy is accused of killing Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan while her then-husband was reportedly out running errands. The couple has since divorced, and Patrick Clancy has remarried. Zeizel is expected to continue his testimony on Wednesday.