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Published 15:52 07 Aug 2026 GMT
A friend of Lindsay Clancy has told jurors about a concerning text message she received from the Massachusetts mother just days before prosecutors say her three young children were killed.
Clancy's murder trial is now in its second week. The 35-year-old is charged over the deaths of her children, five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson and eight-month-old Callan, who died in January 2023 before Clancy allegedly attempted to take her own life.
Now using a wheelchair as a result of her injuries, Clancy does not dispute that she killed her children. However, her defence team argues she was suffering from severe mental illness at the time and should not be held criminally responsible for strangling them.
After allegedly killing her children, Clancy had jumped from the window of their home, a fall she survived with life-changing injuries.
As proceedings continue, jurors have been shown extracts from Clancy's personal journals, while several friends have taken to the stand to describe her mental state in the months leading up to the tragedy.
According to PEOPLE, one of those witnesses was Amy Bevins, who has known Clancy since childhood.
Bevins recalled meeting Clancy for breakfast with a group of friends around three months before the children's deaths, and said nothing about her behavior struck her as unusual.
However, she told the court that in January 2023, shortly before the killings, Clancy sent her a text explaining that one of her medications had caused "dark thoughts." Bevins said Clancy also told her she was in the process of switching to a different medication.
She further testified that she visited Clancy while she was in custody after the deaths, although the pair did not discuss either the children or what had happened.
The court has also heard from Clancy's personal diary, with several entries detailing her deteriorating mental health.
One journal entry read: "I want help. I want to be well."
Another described her battle with "crazy brain fog," while a further passage revealed how overwhelmed she felt caring for her youngest child.
"I live moment to moment waiting for the next nap time. I'm terrified of Cal getting overtired now because I feel can't help him," the diary stated.
Other entries referenced suicidal thoughts and documented the various medications prescribed by doctors as they attempted to treat her symptoms.
The trial is ongoing.
