The jury in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy began deliberations Thursday after hearing closing arguments from the prosecution and defense. Clancy, 36, is accused of strangling her children Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months, to death in January 2023 at her home in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
Clancy has admitted to the killings but has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis. Her defense seeks her commitment to a state mental health facility rather than a prison sentence.
On the final day of the five-week trial, a supporter of Clancy, Danielle Buckley, brought her son Evan's cremated remains to the courthouse. Buckley, 53, told the Daily Mail that her son took his own life in 2024 after struggling with mental health issues, including a diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder. She stated she identified with Clancy's struggles and expressed a desire for Clancy to be found not guilty.
Buckley also criticized the healthcare system, saying, "The big issue that I think we can really address is the healthcare system. So many people fall through the cracks. My son fell through the cracks."
Prosecutors are seeking a conviction on first-degree murder charges. However, the judge allowed manslaughter and second-degree murder to be added to the jury instructions. The defense and prosecution have presented opposing psychiatric assessments of Clancy. Expert testimony for the defense suggests Clancy was out of control and unable to understand her actions, while the prosecution's experts have argued she showed no signs of psychosis.
Rep. Tony Pope, the prosecutor who secured the conviction of Susan Smith for the 1994 murders of her two sons, suggested the verdict could hold a "strange twist," particularly from jurors who are mothers themselves.