A psychologist testified Wednesday in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy that she was suffering from such severe postpartum psychosis that she could not understand the wrongfulness of her actions when she killed her three young children in 2023. Dr. Paul Zeizel, a forensic psychologist, stated that Clancy had a "mental disease or defect" and was unable to "conform her behavior to the law."
Clancy, 36, has admitted to strangling her children—Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan—with exercise bands at their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home. She then allegedly attempted to take her own life, an act that left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, seeking commitment to a mental health facility rather than prison.
Dr. Zeizel explained that individuals experiencing psychosis can still perform daily tasks, which would account for Clancy's ability to take her eldest daughter to a doctor's appointment and search online on the day of the killings. He characterized her condition as "bipolar disorder with postpartum psychosis."
During cross-examination, prosecutor Shanan Buckingham questioned Dr. Zeizel regarding Clancy's account of hearing a male voice instructing her to kill herself and her children. Dr. Zeizel confirmed that Clancy had relayed this auditory hallucination to a hospital chaplain and her husband, Patrick Clancy, after the incident. She reportedly first mentioned the voice to her husband during a phone call, stating the voice ordered her to kill the children and then herself. Dr. Zeizel testified that Clancy has not heard voices since the killings.
The court also heard that Clancy is reportedly well-regarded by staff at Tewksbury Hospital, where she is currently held. Dr. Zeizel described her as not exhibiting unusual behavior, experiencing both good and bad days, and often speaking about her deep love for and missing her children.
Earlier in the proceedings, Judge William Sullivan ruled that Emily Thorndike, a TikTok user and therapist who had previously worked at McLean psychiatric hospital where Clancy had stayed in December 2022, would not be permitted to testify. Thorndike had stated she felt the prosecution's portrayal of McLean was misleading, but she had left the hospital a year before Clancy's admission.
The trial was adjourned for the day shortly after the lunch break due to an unforeseen circumstance, with the judge instructing the jury not to speculate about the reason for the adjournment. Proceedings are scheduled to resume Thursday morning.