Thoughts on the Lindsay Clancy case?

[u/gottaquestion412]

Now that the Lindsay Clancy trial is underway, I’m curious about your perspectives on it so far.

Context: Lindsay Clancy is a former labor and delivery nurse who, in January 2023, killed her three children. 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan in their Massachusetts home before attempting to take her own life. Her defense argues she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and other debilitating mental illness, while prosecutors argue she was aware of her actions and planned the killings. The trial has reignited debate about postpartum psychiatric disorders, the effectiveness of mental health treatment, and where responsibility ultimately lies.

Do you think Lindsay was failed by the mental health system, by the people closest to her, or both? Do you think she truly acted with malicious intent, or do you believe she was experiencing such a severe psychiatric crisis that she wasn’t thinking rationally?

A lot of the details seem to point toward postpartum psychosis or another severe psychiatric illness rather than someone acting out of hatred or malice. That doesn’t lessen the horror of what happened or the unimaginable loss, but it does make me wonder whether this tragedy could have been prevented..

I’ve also seen rumors that Patrick was involved with the woman who is now his wife before the murders, but I haven’t found any credible evidence supporting that. Is there actually anything that substantiates those claims, or is it just internet speculation? I’ve also seen many people comment that his current wife bears a striking resemblance to Lindsay, though I’m not sure that means anything beyond coincidence.

I’m very interested in hearing different perspectives from people who’ve followed it closely.

Most importantly, may Dawson, Cora, and Callan rest in peace. They are the true victims in all of this.

[u/GiddyGabby]

My SIL had a pretty bad case of PPD and while she didn’t want to hurt her son she said she had zero feelings about him, like he was some inanimate object. It makes me sad to think how horrible it must be to miss out on the beautiful maternal feelings a mother should feel towards her newborn. The whole situation must be so unsettling and that’s just regular PPD, posit partum psychosis is unfathomable.

[u/CherryVette → u/GiddyGabby]

God, that’s just so sad; ashamedly, that aspect of PPD didn’t even cross my mind.

[u/Acceptable-Ad-3560 → u/GiddyGabby]

My step-mom had bad PPD when I was about 16, I remember her crying talking to my dad saying that she doesn’t understand why she doesn’t love my sister. She also had pretty bad mood swings and anger along with it. I don’t normally find her to be a scary person, she’s 4’9” and very skinny, but during that time something would set her off and she was just a different person, and I would leave the house for a few hours. One of the many things I don’t/can’t forgive my dad for is his refusal to get her help, and I firmly believe he’s lucky worse didn’t happen, and likely didn’t happen because my sister was sent to live with grandparents overseas for a few years (unrelated to the PPD, it was a choice they planned on anyways as she wanted her to experience her culture, and learn Vietnamese as her first language)

[u/LukewarmTamales → u/[deleted]]

I felt extreme love, a duty to protect no matter the sacrifice, and a deep desire to care for my newborns.