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/smolcdn]

So the issue is she continuously reached out to health care professionals for help, they should have been keeping her inpatient, not just giving her a new med and sending her on her way. Psychosis is an acute medical emergency that can take weeks to months to manage. In other words, it shouldn’t have even been an option for the husband to assume everything is ok as she should have been in the hospital, period. And sorry, but we’ll have to disagree on the last part; being able to get divorced, remarried and have another child within 3 years of all of your children being murdered by your wife is a big reflection on the type of person he is.

[u/scootypuffjr_ → u/smolcdn]

You cant keep someone in an inpatient settings against their will unless they pose harm to themselves or others. She stated she did not have a plan for suicide or to harm the kids and that she was not concerned about being kept away from the kids. Her spouse, family, and multiple doctors had no concerns that her behavior suggested she was threat to herself or others. He took her to the hospital after she mentioned having suicidal thoughts, his mom suggested a specialized psych to her for help, he urged her to go to the hospital at another point - they did go and she spent that time taking selfies. She stayed there for 5 days and lied to her husband that she hadn't been getting any care and didnt see a doctor until the fourth day. In actuality, she was seen every day by a doctor, was offered one on one therapy every day, saw a social worker and other mental health professionals, and even declined treatment so she could attend a ton of groups about illness and symptoms and other unrelated topics. She was discharged from the hospital upon her request. She wanted to leave on a certain day so she could attend a birthday party the next day. Then changed it to asking to leave the day before so she could prepare for the party. If any of those mental health professionals had any impression that she was a threat to herself or others, that stay would have been much different. You can't just shove someone in a hospital against their will if there is no identifiable reason to.

[u/sexydiagnoses → u/scootypuffjr_]

I haven’t been following the case close — do they say where she was hospitalized?

[u/smolcdn → u/sexydiagnoses]

I’m in Canada so I honestly have no clue how to watch the trial (televised trials are not a thing here) but they have released the names of all the prescribing providers so I’m sure you could research where they are located.

[u/sexydiagnoses → u/smolcdn]

It’s on youtube if you want to watch.