Jury selection is underway in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, 35, who is accused of killing her three young children in January 2023. Clancy has pleaded not guilty to strangling her children – Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan – and has claimed she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.
Prosecutors intend to argue that the killings were intentional and premeditated. On the day of the incident, Clancy reportedly asked her husband, Patrick Clancy, to leave their home to purchase takeout food and pick up an item from a pharmacy. She is accused of using exercise bands to strangle the children before attempting to end her own life by falling from a second-story window, an event that left her paralyzed.
Clancy, a former nurse, appeared in court in a wheelchair for the first day of her trial. Dressed in a light blue top and black pants, she kept her gaze lowered. Her parents were present in the public gallery, showing their support.
Earlier in the proceedings, Judge William Sullivan ruled to exclude four defense witnesses added to the list shortly before the trial began, siding with prosecutors who argued the last-minute addition was a "strategic and intentional act to surprise us." The defense countered that the prosecution had ample staff to prepare for cross-examination, but the judge allowed the exclusion for now, noting the decision could be revisited.
Clancy appeared lucid and engaged during jury selection, observing prospective jurors and conferring with her attorney. The trial, expected to last six to eight weeks, is taking place in Plymouth, near the family's home in Duxbury. Approximately 18 jurors, including alternates, are to be selected.
Patrick Clancy, the children's father, is expected to testify. He has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against multiple doctors and healthcare providers, alleging that his wife was overmedicated, leading to her mental health crisis.