Mundane text messages between Lindsay Clancy and her husband on the day she killed her three children were presented in court Thursday, alongside video footage of a family trip to a museum weeks before the tragedy. Clancy, 36, is accused of murdering Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan, at her home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, on January 24, 2023.
Clancy has admitted to killing her children but pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis. She is also suing her former healthcare providers for medical malpractice and negligence.
Jurors heard that Clancy was casually texting her then-husband, Patrick, just one hour before the children were found dead. Massachusetts State Police trooper Timothy Chiappini testified that Clancy texted Patrick about ordering takeout from a local restaurant at 4:53 p.m. that day.
"Any chance you want to do takeout from ThreeV," Clancy texted. Patrick responded affirmatively, and they exchanged messages about their orders. Patrick later texted Clancy to ask if their baby, Callan, had woken up from a nap, to which Clancy replied that he had.
Surveillance footage also showed Patrick Clancy at a nearby CVS picking up medication for his daughter before collecting the food. When he returned home, he found his wife on the lawn, paralyzed, and his children strangled with exercise bands in the basement. Patrick Clancy previously testified that he found his daughter Cora, then Callan, and finally Dawson, each with an exercise band around their necks.
Weeks before the killings, on January 8, the family was seen on an outing to the Museum of Science in Boston. Video from the outing showed Patrick picking up Dawson from a stroller, while Clancy was with Cora and baby Callan. Clancy was seen leading Cora to an exhibit. The footage made Clancy emotional during the trial.
Patrick Clancy had praised his wife as "a good mama" on the morning of his children's deaths, according to text messages revealed in court. However, investigators uncovered concerning Google searches made by Clancy in the days and weeks prior to the killings. These included searches on January 20 for "can you treat a sociopath?"
Other searches included "how to slit your throat to die," "where is the carotid artery," and "how to turn airbags off on Kia Sorento." A note found on Clancy's phone from October 25, 2022, indicated she resented her two older children because they prevented her from treating her third child, Cal, "like my first baby." She expressed fear of something happening to her children and sadness about not being able to parent her third child as she did her first.
Clancy wrote in the note that she felt less connected to Cal after stopping breastfeeding and resented her older children for this reason. She also expressed a desire to have more children, but had "a lot of figuring out to do" before having another. During the reading of this note, Clancy was seen putting her head in her hands at the defense table.
The trial is scheduled to continue on Monday morning.