In the month preceding the deaths of her three children, Lindsay Clancy contacted a suicide crisis hotline twice but was turned away both times, jurors were informed on Wednesday. Clancy, 36, is accused of strangling her children Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan, in January 2023 at their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis.
Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, questioned mental health counselor Latiesha Dukes, who confirmed that Clancy contacted the crisis hotline ASPIRE in December 2022. According to Dukes, Clancy was turned away because she did not express explicit plans to act on her suicidal thoughts. Reddington reportedly asked Dukes, "Two times she contacted ASPIRE, not once. Both times they told her there was nothing they could do for her?"
The trial also heard testimony from Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Kyle Pavao regarding internet search history on the Clancy family laptop. Pavao testified about searches for suicide methods, a topic previously addressed by Patrick Clancy, Lindsay's husband. Patrick Clancy had previously stated that he might have inadvertently accessed the search results while listening to music by singer Tom Hall. Pavao confirmed that the investigation showed a visit to Lindsay Clancy's Facebook page, followed by searches for Tom Hall, which led to his Wikipedia page. From there, a link to the "death section" of Hall's Wikipedia page was accessed, followed by a link to a suicide methods page. Hall had died by suicide.
Reddington, in his cross-examination, challenged the investigator's findings, suggesting that Patrick Clancy may have accessed the family's Facebook account. Pavao stated he was unaware if Patrick Clancy's email had been used to log into his wife's Facebook. The defense also contended that investigators might have been selective in the data they analyzed, noting that no searches for "ways to kill" were found, which contradicted earlier claims by the prosecution.
Clancy reportedly strangled her children with exercise bands and then attempted suicide by jumping from a second-story window, which left her paralyzed. She is currently being held at a state hospital. The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday at 9 a.m. ET. The court took a recess on Friday.
For those in need of support, the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the U.S. can be reached by calling or texting 988. An online chat is also available at 988lifeline.org.