Megyn Kelly has drawn a parallel between Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of murdering her three young children, and notorious serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. Kelly shared her prediction on the potential verdict in Clancy's trial on her podcast this week.
Clancy, 36, faces charges of strangling her children – Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan – in January 2023 at their Duxbury home. She does not dispute that she killed the children but has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, asserting she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time of the events.
As the three-week trial concluded, Kelly discussed the case, acknowledging its complexity. She then compared Clancy to Dahmer, who was convicted of murdering and dismembering 17 young men and boys between 1978 and 1991. Kelly highlighted Dahmer's desire to "zombify" his victims to keep them with him forever.
Kelly recounted that the insanity defense was rejected in Dahmer's case, leading to his conviction and subsequent imprisonment. She argued that Clancy "is far closer to sane than Jeffrey Dahmer was." Kelly expressed doubt that Clancy's postpartum psychosis, even if proven, would meet the legal standard for insanity, questioning whether Clancy was unable to distinguish right from wrong or engage in logical, reasoned thinking with malice aforethought.
"I personally am not convinced that she suffered from postpartum psychosis or any psychosis at all," Kelly stated. "But even if she did, I don't think that this case is one for a not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect. There's too much ordered behavior and thinking around these crimes. This is not somebody who's clearly out of her mind."
Despite her skepticism about an insanity defense, Kelly acknowledged that Clancy's supporters emphasize her documented struggles in seeking mental health assistance prior to the killings. "I completely give them this point that she was jumping up and down looking for help," Kelly said, adding that mental illness is not the fault of the individual experiencing it, as it can stem from chemical imbalances, disease, or genetic factors.
During the trial, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Gregory Saathoff testified that Clancy exhibited "preparatory planning" before killing her children and that she had the capacity to understand right from wrong. He noted her online searches for locations and her request to her husband to stop at a pharmacy, which he suggested could have been for medical supplies. Saathoff also pointed to the use of readily available exercise bands as weapons and the locking of a door to delay her husband's entry as evidence of planning.
Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, criticized the police investigation, arguing it was insufficient. He contended that the jury should be permitted to consider a deficient investigation as grounds for acquittal. However, Judge William Sullivan denied this request. The judge did state he would allow the jury to consider lesser charges of manslaughter in addition to murder.
Closing arguments are scheduled to proceed, after which the jury will begin deliberations.