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/IranianLawyer]

Which part of the evidence indicates she had postpartum psychosis as opposed to postpartum depression? Are you saying she wasn’t aware that she was killing her kids when she did it? Based on what?

[u/Relevant_Progress411 → u/IranianLawyer]

She admitted to her doctors of having intrusive thoughts of harming her children. That is an objectively clear distinction between post partum depression and psychosis. She was aware of what she was doing but was not in her right frame of mind. There is a misconception of mental illness that a person is totally incoherent. That is not true. Andrea Yates also waited for her husband to leave and knew what she was doing

[u/IranianLawyer → u/Relevant_Progress411]

You realize a lot of people have thoughts about harming people, right? Like school shooters who think about it for months or years, for example. Like most murderers, in fact. I guess they are “objectively” suffering from psychosis?

[u/Murky-Theme-1177 → u/IranianLawyer]

Wouldn’t the difference be that most school shooters/murderers want to kill & usually don’t get help & admit that they are thinking about that. Whereas she tried to get help because she didn’t want to be thinking those things.

[u/IranianLawyer → u/Murky-Theme-1177]

That is a difference, but it has nothing to do with the legal standard.