Paula Musgrove, the mother of Lindsay Clancy, testified that her daughter confessed to having thoughts of harming her children approximately one month before the Jan. 24, 2023, killings. Musgrove recounted the disturbing conversation to a jury, stating that Lindsay admitted these dark thoughts to her and Lindsay's then-husband, Patrick Clancy, in their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home.
"She told us that she had thoughts of harming the children," Musgrove testified. She recalled Lindsay being "very nervous" during the disclosure. When asked by Patrick Clancy if she felt she could not be alone with the children, Lindsay responded negatively, according to her mother. Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague questioned Musgrove about whether she had considered having Lindsay committed to a mental institution or if she was concerned for the children's safety at the time. Musgrove answered "no" to both questions, explaining that she was present in the home frequently during the months leading up to the tragedy.
Musgrove described her daughter's deteriorating mental health in the four months prior to the slayings. Lindsay Clancy had reached out to her mother in October 2022, expressing severe insomnia, a feeling of sickness, and fear of being alone. Musgrove, who lived in Connecticut, began staying at the Duxbury home for extended periods to support her daughter and help with the children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan.
Text messages shown to the jury indicated ongoing communication between mother and daughter. On Jan. 19, 2023, just five days before the killings, Musgrove texted Lindsay asking about her well-being and the effectiveness of a new medication. Lindsay responded that she was doing okay and that the medication might take weeks to become fully effective.
Lindsay Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, is pursuing a defense of not guilty by reason of insanity, asserting that Clancy suffered from severe postpartum psychosis exacerbated by multiple psychiatric medications. The defense also claims Clancy heard voices commanding her to commit the acts. Jurors have heard that Clancy was prescribed 13 different medications in the four months preceding the killings and had a five-day hospitalization for suicidal thoughts weeks before the event.
Musgrove also testified about Lindsay's character as a mother, describing her as "a very loving mother" who was dedicated and fun with her children. However, Musgrove noted a significant decline in her daughter's mental state between October and January, characterized by paranoia and a fear of being alone. Lindsay reportedly told her mother, "This isn’t me. I have never been like this before."
Lindsay Clancy attempted suicide after killing her children and has since been hospitalized, reportedly left partially paralyzed and wheelchair-bound. A GoFundMe account has been established to assist Musgrove and her husband with expenses incurred from supporting their daughter throughout her legal proceedings.