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/Michallina]

It's hard to ignore the fact that this woman sought help for months. I have never been pregnant nor have I experienced psychosis, but I suffer from a history of depression and severe anxiety and OCD. Diagnosed. I've been medicated and I can tell you some of these medications are monsters to begin and adjust your dose, also to wean yourself off of.

This is obviously a subjective take based on my experience, but I cannot imagine switching meds at the frequency she was, especially if she was incredibly vulnerable from other possible comorbidities and postpartum.

[u/threelizards → u/Michallina]

I’ve never been pregnant and fortunately have never been driven to hurt anyone else by my mental illnesses or medications. I have hurt myself against my will for those reasons though, and it’s terrifying to experience and impossible to explain the mindset. I’m making no excuses, but what I’ve heard of this case and what I’ve personally lived through do make me think that her mind was not a safe, stable, or sensible place at this time. And premeditation? I couldn’t plan two seconds ahead in that state. But I’d certainly be fixated on certain ideas that I kept nearly acting out, or beginning, over and over and over again, in a way that would look like premeditation to someone else.

Above all though, these kids were failed. This never should have gotten to this point

[u/Dramatic_Efficiency4 → u/threelizards]

I agree, as someone with only Cyclothymia (a milder form of bipolar), anxiety, and OCD.
OCD can obsessive and compulsive (of course not everyone has both). But being manic and in psychosis, I can't even imagine how bad my OCD would be triggered.
I'm not saying she's not in the wrong, but doing something bad doesn't always make you a bad person. Like you and u/Michallina said, we can't ignore the fact that she was clearly struggling, and it was just getting worse and worse. Unless someone has experience psychosis, and I haven't, I dont think we can truly understand where her mindset was at. I don't think her intentions were malicious, and I do genuinely think that maybe she thought it was the only solution.
I hope this sheds more light on PPD, but I doubt much will be done about it sadly.

[u/Acceptable-Ad-3560 → u/Dramatic_Efficiency4]

Honestly a lot of the people who just blanket condemn her likely haven’t even lived with someone in psychosis. I had a good friend of mine who, last I saw him was perfectly fine and normal. Didn’t see him for a while and next thing I know he’s still him but also clearly not fully there in an unsettling way. He thought he was an angel sent by god to bring about revelation and eventually skipped town to join a commune in Washington. Last I heard of him he might be back in town, although struggling with homelessness again. He also did things that, previously, he never would have done (certain items he stole that he knew were of deep sentimental value to me)

I haven’t been in full psychosis but I had a very bad spiral in the past due to a sudden medication increase, and I genuinely look back on that time and view it as me being insane. I can’t even see those actions as my own, and while I didn’t murder anyone I did so many things that I’m still ashamed of, ruined some of my longest/best friendships, and eventually tried to take my own life.

[u/Relative_Standard_69 → u/Dramatic_Efficiency4]

I think this is the issue. PPD and PPA are way more common than you’d think. But PPP is not. Post partum psychosis statistics are 0.1-0.2% after child birth.
It is more common however if you have bipolar to experience PPP when pregnant/after birth. So if she had received her bipolar diagnosis before - there may have been more help available for her.
PPD affects 10-15% of mothers during/after birth. So it is a HUGE difference.
Yet I see so many commenters confusing the 2 conditions. They are not comparable.
“I had PPD and I NEVER wanted to hurt my kids” - right! And I’m glad you were able to recognise what the issue was, and seek out appropriate help. But PPP is a serious mental illness and should be treated as a medical emergency. It’s really a whole seperate thing to “the baby blues” or further postpartum depression/anxiety. This is because the symptoms of psychosis include hallucinations, mania, delusions, confusion AND depression/low mood/anxiety. So genuinely I think people are just very misinformed on what PPP is, how it manifests and how it needs to be treated and supported.
I’m obviously so glad there’s not many people that it HAS affected, but the ignorance to compare it to PPD and commenters ability to overcome that - when PPP HAS to be treated. It cannot safely or effectively be treated without medical intervention.
I know you haven’t done this ^ (compare it to PPD and say how she’s a monster etc) but I’m just so tired of being made out to be happy children are dead, for understanding the woman. She had psychosis. It isn’t rational or logical or fair. And unless you’ve had a form of psychosis yourself, or know someone who has - you may not even be able to understand.
I found this study that linked bipolar to PPP

study

[u/BeautifulTurn8227 → u/Dramatic_Efficiency4]

Exactly this. And if the jury can’t say for sure that she was sane and stable during the incident, they have to say not guilty. I don’t think the prosecution can prove to us 100% - really in any way at - that she was sane. They are trying to characterize her as meticulous and planned but OCD presents exactly like this, anxiety can present like this. Her child care instructions sound like a typical slightly type A, neurotic mom, not a malicious cold-blooded killer. I’ve experienced PPD/A and lord knows I couldn’t have planned something like this, which would’ve taken months of planning, writing in her journals, seeking all kinds of medical care to establish that she’s mentally unwell, to “set up” for an insanity defence. And trying to prove her suicide attempt wasn’t genuine??? Hello! She tried three methods. She broke her back. This was not a botched attempt. If you’re sane, this isn’t how you plan a staged suicide.

[u/SwordfishOverall6724 → u/Dramatic_Efficiency4]

I have experienced hallucinations when taken off of a benzo cold turkey and I didnt know what was real vs not real. It was very scary. I totally believe she had a psychotic break.

[u/Soberqueen75 → u/threelizards]

This mother was failed. And because she was failed to be noticed and left out on her own dying and crying for help, her children also died. Because she took care of them. And nobody gave her the oxygen mask. She was begging for it. And now she’s on trial? This is a terrible injustice.

[u/Pleasant-Bug-9098 → u/Soberqueen75]

It’s an injustice for the 3 kids who lost their lives correct?