Weeks before she allegedly killed her three children, Lindsay Clancy experienced "persistent and intrusive thoughts of suicide," her defense attorney stated in court. Clancy, 35, was reportedly denied entry into an outpatient mental health program over concerns she was "overmedicated," according to her lawyer.
On December 15, 2022, Clancy and her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, contacted a nurse practitioner, Rebecca Jollotta, reporting that Clancy was having a "worst day" and was experiencing dark thoughts. Jollotta's notes from the call, read in court, indicated that Clancy had "persistent and intrusive thoughts of suicide" but "no active plan" to harm herself. The couple mentioned they might go to Massachusetts General Hospital, or that Clancy might check herself into McLean Hospital.
Clancy did visit an emergency room that day and ultimately chose to join an outpatient program at Women and Infants Hospital in Rhode Island, Jollotta testified. However, according to Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington, Women and Infants turned her away on December 20, 2022, citing concerns that she might have been taking too many prescription medications. Jollotta, who was not affiliated with Women and Infants, could not confirm this reason.
Instead, Women and Infants recommended Clancy enter a general mental health facility like McLean. Clancy conveyed this information to Jollotta via MyChart the following day. Jollotta had previously met with the Clancys on December 6, 2022, and had raised the possibility of bipolar disorder, noting Clancy's strong reactions to SSRIs like Zoloft and Prozac. Patrick Clancy reportedly stated his wife was not bipolar.
Jollotta, who had worked with Clancy from late November to mid-December 2022, prescribed several psychiatric medications. Clancy was also being treated by her psychiatrist, Dr. Jennifer Tufts, and received additional medications during a subsequent stay at McLean starting January 1, 2023. She stayed at McLean for five days before requesting to leave to attend her oldest child's birthday.
Reddington indicated he intended to call a former McLean therapist to testify about the facility's alleged understaffing, particularly during holidays, suggesting it was a "woeful environment." He argued that this testimony would counter the impression that McLean was a beneficial facility and that Clancy was uninterested in its services.
Lindsay Clancy is accused of murdering her children Cora, Dawson, and Callan. She then allegedly attempted suicide by slitting her wrists and throat and jumping from the second story of her home, resulting in partial paralysis and wheelchair dependency. Reddington is pursuing a not guilty by reason of insanity plea, asserting Clancy was misdiagnosed and overmedicated. Both Lindsay and Patrick Clancy have filed medical malpractice lawsuits against her providers.