Chilling diary entries and medication logs belonging to Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three young children, were presented in court this week. The documents offer a glimpse into her deteriorating mental state in the months preceding the January 24, 2023, incident in Duxbury.
Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children: Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, with her defense arguing she was suffering from severe postpartum depression and psychosis.
The journals, read aloud in Plymouth County Superior Court, chronicle Clancy's increasing distress over sleep training her infant son, caring for her other children, and feeling guilty about her marital relationship. Entries described feelings of being overwhelmed, disconnected, and experiencing a lack of appetite, insomnia, and anxiety.
"My mind never shuts off… I don't know what's wrong with me," one entry stated. Another read, "I want to be well… I feel like I'm drowning."
Investigators found the journals alongside a book titled "Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts" and informational booklets on postpartum anxiety and depression in the Clancy home.
Clancy's defense team pointed to her documented mental health struggles and the numerous psychiatric medications she was prescribed in the months before the killings. They also highlighted her jump from a second-story window after the deaths of her children, arguing it was a genuine suicide attempt indicative of a break from reality. The prosecution, however, contends that Clancy meticulously planned the killings and that her apparent suicide attempt was staged.
Medical testimony presented a complex picture. Dr. Jhilam Biswas, a forensic psychiatrist who evaluated Clancy two days after the killings, testified that Clancy showed no outward signs of psychosis during their brief interaction. When communicating via pen and paper, Clancy's initial written questions included, "Do I have an attorney?" and "Is my body broken?"
Conversely, another psychiatrist, Dr. Sejal Shah, who began treating Clancy days later, testified that Clancy experienced visual hallucinations and delirium. She noted that Clancy's physical condition at the time, including recent surgery and anesthesia, could have contributed to these symptoms. However, during subsequent treatment, Clancy reportedly denied experiencing hallucinations or suicidal thoughts, with her medical records noting her mood as "okay" and appearing "future-orientated."
A hospital nurse also testified that medical staff had discussed the possibility of Clancy suffering from postpartum psychosis. The trial is ongoing, with the central question revolving around Clancy's state of mind at the time of the deaths. If convicted of murder, Clancy faces a sentence of life without parole. An acquittal by reason of insanity would result in her commitment to a psychiatric hospital.
While Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead at the scene, Callan was taken off life support on January 27, 2023, after being declared brain dead. Clancy's parents have attended each day of the trial in support of their daughter.
