During the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, prosecutors on Tuesday questioned her Catholic mother-in-law about whether murder constitutes a "mortal sin." This line of questioning was part of the prosecution's effort to demonstrate that Clancy understood the wrongfulness of her actions when she allegedly killed her three young children.
Lindsay Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children—Cora, Dawson, and Callan—who were found strangled in their Duxbury home in 2023. The prosecution concluded its case on Monday.
Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham posed the "mortal sin" question to Susan Clancy, Lindsay Clancy's mother-in-law. The judge immediately called a sidebar, and the remark was struck from the record. Susan Clancy did not directly answer the question.
Susan Clancy testified that she had concerns about Lindsay Clancy's mental health during the 2022 holiday season but described her as a devoted mother. "Lindsay was struggling. We were all very concerned," Susan Clancy told jurors. "She was very nurturing, very loving. She was a wonderful mother. Wonderful."
According to Susan Clancy, Lindsay Clancy's mental health began to decline in November 2022. "She reached out to me in November and told me that she felt unwell," Susan Clancy recounted. "She felt... Mostly she had insomnia. She was losing her appetite. She was very anxious and sad."
Lindsay Clancy's mother, Paula Musgrove, also testified about her daughter's mental health struggles. In a text message dated October 20, 2022, Lindsay Clancy asked her mother for support, stating, "Mom, will you please come up and stay with me for a bit? I'm really sick. Something is wrong. I had horrible insomnia all night, and I just don’t know how I am going to get through the day... It’s just really scary, and I don’t want to be alone." Musgrove stated she did not have concerns about the children's safety.
The defense team for Lindsay Clancy is expected to continue presenting its case, aiming to convince the jury that she was experiencing severe postpartum psychosis at the time of her children's deaths.