Ex-husband of woman accused of strangling their three kids to death makes request ahead of trial
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide, which some readers may find distressing.
A father whose ex-wife allegedly strangled their three children while battling postpartum psychosis has asked the jury not to share several pieces of vital evidence with the general public.
Lindsay Clancy is currently on trial in Massachusetts, where she stands accused by prosecutors of intentionally killing her children using exercise bands in a premeditated attack, which took place in 2023.
They also argue she sent her ex-husband, Patrick, away from their property the day of the attack so he wouldn't be able to stop her, having allegedly looked into how long his errands might take beforehand.
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Her team insists, however, that Lindsay had been in the midst of a psychotic episode when the crime was committed, which began when she welcomed her youngest daughter, Callan, eight months prior.
The defence does not dispute that Lindsay - who has pled not guilty - carried out the killings, but argues she cannot be held responsible, and as such, they've raised an insanity defence.
After allegedly killing Callan, her five-year-old daughter Cora, and three-year-old son Dawson, Lindsay tried to take her own life which resulted in her being left paralysed.
They say she experienced hallucinations and delusions after giving birth to her youngest, and had been prescribed medical treatment for psychiatric issues that developed postpartum.
Patrick, who'll serve as a witness for both the prosecution and the defence, filed a motion last week to Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan to have images of his children taken before their deaths, at the crime scene and during their autopsies, barred from public view.
The motion was subsequently approved, with Judge Sullivan writing that the 'media shall not, record, display, reproduce, distribute or otherwise disseminate' either the 911 call Patrick made after discovering the scene, or the photos of his children.
Sullivan added that breaking these restrictions would 'create a substantial likelihood of harm' to Patrick.
Earlier this year, Lindsay and Patrick - who met in 2013 - accused her medical providers, as part of a civil case they filed earlier this year, of both failing to issue a proper diagnosis, and not monitoring her 'severe postpartum psychiatric condition' after prescribing her treatment.
"Lindsay Clancy did everything a mother in her situation could do," the lawsuit claimed. "She recognised something was wrong with her. She sought medical treatment. She went to emergency rooms. She called crisis hotlines."
The couple also cited her having spent several days at a psychiatric institution in the weeks before killing her three kids, with Lindsay claiming that she'd suffered sleep issues and had heard voices telling her to harm both herself and her children during that time.
"She admitted herself to hospitals," the suit continued. "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 couple have since divorced, with Patrick remarrying and moving to New York.
Despite this, he still supports Lindsay, with her defence attorney saying during an earlier court hearing (as reported by People): "Patrick Clancy has suffered one of the worst tragedies that anyone could ever suffer.
"How that guy is not an emotional basket-case is beyond me, and he is trying hard to move on with his life. As the court is aware, they’re divorced, he’s remarried, he has a family."
In a GoFundMe post shared after the killings, Patrick claimed that, despite the 'shock and pain' being 'excruciating and relentless', he begged onlookers to remember Lindsay's nature before her breakdown.
"The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring toward everyone - me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients," he wrote, as per the BBC. "The very fibres of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace."
Patrick added: "I want to ask all of you that you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay, as I have."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.
Rhianna Benson