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Published 13:21 24 Jul 2026 GMT
The father of three children allegedly killed by their mother has asked a judge to prevent graphic photographs and other deeply distressing evidence from being publicly displayed during her murder trial.
Massachusetts mom Lindsay Clancy was accused of killing her three young children by strangulation at their home before attempting to take her own life in January 2023. She survived but sustained severe spinal injuries and remains paralyzed.
Lindsay’s lawyers have argued that she was suffering from severe postpartum mental illness, but prosecutors are pursuing murder charges in the ongoing trial.
Her husband Patrick Clancy recently requested restricted public access to evidence connected to the deaths of his children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months.
His wish includes limiting public access to crime scene and autopsy photographs, images of the children's clothing, and a recording of the emergency 911 call he made after discovering them at the family's home.
In court papers, Patrick’s representatives argued that publicly displaying the material could cause lasting emotional harm to the family and would undermine the dignity and memory of the three children.
While the request does not aim to prevent the judge and jury from seeing relevant evidence, it asks that the sensitive material be kept hidden from the media and therefore wider public access.
The request comes as jury selection concluded in the closely watched trial of Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of killing her three children before attempting to take her own life by jumping from a second-story window. Clancy survived the fall but suffered severe injuries and is now paralyzed from the waist down.
Prosecutors argue that Lindsay used exercise bands to strangle the children while her husband was away. Cora and Dawson died shortly after they were found, while Callan died several days later in hospital.
The mom-of-three then attempted to take her own life by jumping from a second-story window.
Lindsay has pleaded not guilty. Her defense will likely argue that she was experiencing severe postpartum psychosis and so is not criminally responsible for her actions.
The case has attracted national attention because of the competing arguments over Lindsay’s mental state and the circumstances surrounding the children's deaths.
Her now-ex-husband is expected to testify during the trial and has previously supported claims that she was suffering from serious mental health problems.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
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Published 14:12 21 Jul 2026 GMT
The husband of a Massachusetts mom who is facing trial for the murder of their three children has revealed the chilling words the voice in her head said before their tragic deaths.
Lindsay Clancy is accused of killing her three young children, five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan, on January 24, 2023.
Her husband, Patrick Clancy, is expected to testify as part of the defense's case, as her trial begins this week.
According to investigators, Lindsay had allegedly asked Patrick to go and pick up takeout on the evening of the murders, and he returned to a tragic scene.
When he arrived back at the home around 25 minutes later, he found that Lindsay had jumped from the second-story bedroom window and immediately called 911.
While on the phone to the emergency services, Patrick entered the home and discovered their three children inside, with exercise bands around their necks. Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead after arriving at hospital, and Callan died from his injuries several days later.
Lindsay survived the fall but has been left paralyzed and needing a wheelchair as a result of her injuries.
Despite the heartbreak of losing his three children in such horrific circumstances, Patrick has publicly stated that he forgives his wife and asked for others to do the same.
Prosecutors have also dropped three lesser strangulation charges by filing a notice of nolle prosequi, allowing those counts to be merged into the three murder charges Lindsay already faces.
The trial is expected to last around six to eight weeks, with Lindsay's legal team announcing earlier in the year that they plan to pursue an insanity defense, arguing that she was experiencing postpartum psychosis at the time of the alleged killings.
Earlier this year, Patrick also filed a wrongful death lawsuit against several of Lindsay's healthcare providers, on behalf of the estates of their three children, after Lindsay was allegedly prescribed at least nine medications in the months before the tragedy.
Eight of the prescriptions were reportedly issued within just three weeks between November 16 and December 5, 2022, with medications including Valium, Prozac, Ambien, Remeron, Klonopin, Seroquel, and Lamictal.
In the suit, Patrick alleged that Lindsay had "started hearing a compelling and unrecognizable singular male voice that told her 'this is your last chance' and that she had to 'take them' with [her]."
It added that the voice "indicated to [Lindsay] that she should die... and that her children would suffer if she was gone."
Though Lindsay does not deny killing her children, she has pleaded not guilty and claimed she is not responsible for her actions because she was suffering postpartum psychosis.
Prosecutors are planning to argue that the killings were intentional and premeditated, after Lindsay ensured her husband would be out of the house when they were committed.
The trial began on July 20 and is ongoing.
Published 10:13 24 Jul 2026 GMT
Warning: This article may contain some distressing information.
The disturbing note allegedly written by a mother accused of strangling her three young children before attempting to take her own life by jumping 20 feet from a second-story window has been revealed as her murder trial gets underway.
Lindsay Clancy, 36, has been charged over the deaths of her children, five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan.
The young victims were found strangled inside the family's home in Duxbury, around 30 miles south of Boston, on January 24, 2023.
Clancy's trial, which is expected to last several weeks, will focus on whether she can be held criminally responsible for the killings or whether postpartum psychosis left her incapable of controlling her actions.
According to prosecutors, Clancy told her husband, Patrick, she had been tired after caring for the kids all day and asked him to pick up the children's medication and takeout because she was too tired to cook dinner.
When Patrick returned home, he found his wife seriously injured outside after she had allegedly slashed her wrists and throat before jumping from the home's second-floor window.
She reportedly told him she had tried to take her own life and that their children were downstairs.
When first responders entered the home, they found all three children had been strangled with exercise resistance bands.
Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead that evening, while Callan died several days later in hospital.
The item used to commit the killings was reportedly so disturbing that responding officers later required counseling.
Five jurors were selected on Monday as attorneys began assembling an 18-person panel, including six alternates, for the trial in Plymouth.
Clancy's legal team, supported by her husband, does not dispute that she killed the children but argues she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should be found not guilty by reason of insanity.
"This whole case is an extreme tragedy," defense attorney Kevin Reddington said.
However, prosecutors have argued that the killings were deliberate and carefully planned rather than the actions of someone who had lost touch with reality.
They allege Clancy searched online for the phrase "ways to kill" before the deaths and, four days earlier, had also Googled "can you treat a sociopath".
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Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague has also highlighted a handwritten note Clancy allegedly wrote five months before Callan was born.
In the note, Clancy wrote: "I think I sort of resent my other children because they prevent me from treating Cal like my first baby... I want to feel love and connection with all of my kids."
Sprague has described the defendant as "selfish," citing the note during an earlier court hearing.
Clancy remains paralyzed after her fall from the home's second-floor window and is being held at a state hospital while awaiting trial.
Patrick is expected to testify for both the prosecution and the defense.
Earlier this year, Lindsay and Patrick filed a lawsuit against her healthcare providers, alleging they failed to properly diagnose, treat and monitor what they described as a "severe postpartum psychiatric condition."
Per the complaint, Clancy had received inpatient psychiatric treatment in the weeks leading up to the killings after struggling with depression, insomnia and hearing voices telling her to harm both herself and her children.
"Lindsay Clancy did everything a mother in her situation could do," the lawsuit states. "She recognized something was wrong with her."
"She sought medical treatment. She went to emergency rooms. She called crisis hotlines. She admitted herself to a hospital. She took the medication prescribed to her. She communicated her worsening symptoms to her providers. She told them the medications were making her worse."
The filing also alleges that, on the day of the killings, Clancy heard voices telling her: "This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself."
According to medical records cited in the lawsuit filed by Patrick, another voice told her "that her children would suffer if she was gone".
Patrick publicly forgave his wife after the horrific murders and has urged people to remember her as she was before the tragedy.
In a GoFundMe post shared days after the killings, he wrote that the family's "shock and pain is excruciating and relentless."
He added: "The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring toward everyone - me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients. The very fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace."
Published 16:15 10 Feb 2023 GMT
A Massachusetts mom charged over the deaths of her three children allegedly said she was "unable to express any emotion" before the tragic incident.
Lindsay Clancy made headlines last month following the deaths of her three children.
It has since been reported that on January 24, the mom had been "happy" and "smiling" throughout the day, according to her husband, Patrick Clancy. The Plymouth District Court heard earlier this week how the mom had built a snowman with five-year-old daughter Cora and three-year-old son Dawson, and texted photos to the kids' grandmother.
However, after Lindsay asked Patrick to leave the family home to pick up some food and medicine, the father returned to find the two children and their seven-month-old brother Callan in the basement. They had reportedly been strangled with exercise bands.
Lindsay was found in the backyard after reportedly attempting to take her own life by leaping out of a second-story window, per NBC News.
After Patrick called 911, the three children were rushed to the hospital. Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead later that evening, and baby Callan sadly succumbed to his injuries a few days later.
PEOPLE reports that Lindsay is still paralyzed from the waist down. After being charged with two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation, and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, the mom pleaded not guilty.
On Tuesday, Lindsay's defense attorney Kevin Reddington told the court about the mom's mental well-being prior to the tragedy, and claimed that the former nurse had "been unable to express any happiness, or sadness, or cry" in the weeks leading up to the children's deaths.
Reddington said that the mom had been prescribed "a number of medications" by doctors for postpartum depression, and even contended that Lindsay may have been suffering from "possible postpartum psychosis".
The attorney then went on to claim that "about a month or two ago", Lindsay had said, "I just wish that I could feel something", as she reportedly battled with depression and anxiety - which Reddington argues could have been exacerbated by her medication.
A GoFundMe for Patrick currently stands at over $1 million as he faces medical bills and funeral costs.
In a statement shared on the fundraiser, he revealed that he has forgiven his wife, and asks that others do the same.
Due to Lindsey's medical condition, a judge has not set monetary bail, but has ordered that she remain in hospital until medically cleared.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please reach out for help and contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
Published 13:35 13 Mar 2026 GMT
A nurse accused of killing her three young children and attempting to take her own life has reportedly claimed a voice in her head urged her to commit the acts.
Lindsay Clancy was charged with murdering her children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan in January 2023.
According to prosecutors, Clancy strangled the three children with exercise bands inside the family home after sending her husband, Patrick Clancy, out to pick up takeout food.
When Patrick returned about an hour later, authorities say he found that she had attempted suicide by cutting her wrists and jumping from a second-story window.
First responders had been called earlier that evening after Patrick dialed 911 at 6:11 p.m. to report that his wife had tried to take her own life.
Police then discovered the three children in the home "unconscious, with obvious signs of trauma," per the Boston Herald.
Cora, five, and Dawson, three, were pronounced dead later that night at a hospital. Callan, the infant, remained hospitalized before dying several days later.
Clancy survived the fall but was left paralyzed from the chest down and now uses a wheelchair. She is currently being held at Tewksbury State Hospital while awaiting trial, which is scheduled to begin July 20.
In the lawsuit filed on her behalf, Clancy claims a voice repeatedly urged her toward self-harm and violence against her children.
"You should harm the children, you should kill yourself, you will never be the same, the only option is to die," the voice told Clancy, per The Independent.
The lawsuits argue that medical providers failed to recognize clear warning signs as her mental health declined.
"The tragedy that followed was the direct and proximate result of the defendants’ collective negligence in failing to recognize obvious warning signs, coordinate care, properly diagnose Lindsay’s condition, and provide treatment that met the applicable standard of care," the lawsuit filed on her behalf said.
The filings describe what attorneys say was a rapid deterioration in Clancy’s mental health after the birth of her youngest child in 2022.
She had previously experienced anxiety and postpartum depression after the birth of her second child and became fearful about returning to work as a nurse after Callan was born.
According to the lawsuit, she tried to get psychiatric help in September, but the medications she was prescribed allegedly worsened her symptoms, leaving her sleeping only about three hours a night and eventually leading to suicidal thoughts.
Her husband also warned doctors in the days before the killings that she was experiencing what he described as "horrible thoughts" and had confessed to both him and her mother that she was thinking about harming the children.
Her lawyers say she repeatedly sought help, including emergency room visits, inpatient treatment, and calls to crisis hotlines.
"Lindsay Clancy did everything a mother in her situation could do," her attorneys said in the lawsuit. "She recognized something was wrong with her. She sought medical treatment."
"She went to emergency rooms. She called crisis hotlines. She admitted herself to hospitals. She took the medications prescribed to her. She communicated her worsening symptoms to her providers. She told them the medications were making her worse," they added.
The lawsuit also alleges that her psychiatrist spent only about 17 minutes with her during appointments, including the day before the horrific murders.
Per the documents, there had been no indication that the mom-of-three would harm her children.
She had been described as academically successful growing up in Connecticut, and worked for nine years as a labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Her mother-in-law, Susan Clancy, told a grand jury that she "loved everything about Lindsay, she was a fun loving, doting wife and mother" who adored her kids and was always smiling.
"Lindsay now faces a lifetime of physical disability, psychological trauma, and the unbearable grief of waking up every day knowing she killed her children – all of which could have been prevented had defendants provided competent medical care," her attorney said in the lawsuit.
Clancy has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to undergo a forensic psychological evaluation in April before returning to court on April 23.
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In the aftermath of the killings, Patrick released an emotional statement expressing grief over the loss of the couple’s three children and forgiveness toward his wife.
"I want to ask all of you that you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay, as I have," he wrote in a message shared on a GoFundMe page created in 2023. "The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone - me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace."
Patrick said the shock of losing the children was overwhelming: "A lot of people have said they can’t imagine, and they’re right, there’s absolutely nothing that can prepare you."
"The shock and pain is excruciating and relentless," he wrote. "I’m constantly reminded of them and with the little sleep I get, I dream about them on repeat."
"Cora, Dawson, and Callan, you gave me so much in your short time here. I don’t know if the pain will ever go away, but I’ll do my best to carry on in your honor," he concluded. "Dada loves you so much and will always remember you."
Published 13:06 24 Jul 2026 GMT
Experts have issued a warning over a critical medication mistake as a mom accused of killing her three children before jumping 20 feet from a window goes on trial.
Lindsay Clancy, 36, has been accused of strangling her children, five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan, with exercise bands inside the family home on January 24, 2023, after sending her husband, Patrick Clancy, out to pick up takeout food.
When Patrick returned about an hour later, authorities say he found that she had attempted to take her own life by cutting her wrists and jumping from a second-story window.
She survived the fall but was left paralyzed from the waist down.
Clancy's legal team does not dispute that she killed the children but argues she was suffering from postpartum psychosis that left her incapable of understanding her actions.
They said she should be found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Meanwhile, prosecutors have argued the killings were planned, pointing to alleged internet searches including "ways to kill" and "can you treat a sociopath," as well as a handwritten note Clancy allegedly wrote before her youngest child was born.
Central to a lawsuit filed by Clancy and her husband is the allegation that the mom was prescribed 13 different psychiatric medications over several months as her mental health rapidly deteriorated after giving birth.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington has described the treatment as "a horrific overmedication of drugs that caused homicidal ideation [and] suicidal ideation," Daily Mail reported.
The lawsuit alleges the mom was prescribed a combination of antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, sedatives, and mood stabilizers, including Klonopin, Valium, Ativan, Zoloft, Prozac, trazodone, Lamictal, Seroquel, and Ambien.
The healthcare providers named in the lawsuit have filed motions to dismiss.
Mental health experts not involved in the case stress that medication remains essential in treating postpartum psychosis but warn that prescribing multiple psychiatric drugs at once, known as polypharmacy, can increase the risk of side effects and make treatment more complicated.
"The multiple medications that Lindsay Clancy was taking is called polypharmacy, or a medication 'cocktail,'" forensic psychiatrist Dr. Carole Lieberman told the Daily Mail.
She said the approach is generally discouraged "because it causes too many side effects that multiply with the addition of each medication, and some medications cancel out the effect of others".
Experts say combining psychiatric medications can increase the risk of excessive sedation, confusion, agitation and, in rare cases, dangerous reactions such as serotonin syndrome.
Dr. Allen Masry, psychiatrist and medical director of All Solutions treatment centers, said: "The most challenging part of managing patients with severe postpartum psychiatric illness is determining if deteriorating symptoms are primarily due to medication side effects or a rapid progression of the underlying illness.
"Medication should be simplified when appropriate, and close follow-up should be provided," he added.
He also warned that suddenly stopping psychiatric medication can trigger withdrawal symptoms or even a rebound of psychotic symptoms.
Clancy's lawyers say she developed postpartum psychosis after the birth of her youngest child and began hearing voices instructing her to kill both herself and her children.
According to the lawsuit, she repeatedly sought medical help, went to emergency rooms, called crisis hotlines and admitted herself to the hospital, while telling doctors her medications were making her feel worse.
"Lindsay Clancy did everything a mother in her situation could do," her attorneys said in the lawsuit. "She recognized something was wrong with her. She sought medical treatment."
Experts say postpartum psychosis is a rare but severe psychiatric emergency affecting around one to two women in every 1,000 births.
Unlike postpartum depression, it can cause hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, and a complete loss of touch with reality.
Dr. Rod Hoevert, a clinical and forensic psychologist, said the illness "carries the most risk of the mother harming the baby due to having psychotic experiences."
Around half of women diagnosed with postpartum psychosis have no previous history of mental illness.
Despite losing all three of his children, Patrick has continued to publicly support his wife while mourning the family's loss.
Days after the killings, he wrote in a GoFundMe post that the family's "shock and pain is excruciating and relentless."
He also urged people to remember the woman he knew before her illness, writing: "The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring toward everyone - me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients.
"The very fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace."
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