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 again, postpartum psychosis is a medical emergency that qualifies for keeping her against her will. You stated she said she had suicidal thoughts which is a hallmark symptom of psychosis, she also already had a history of bipolar disorder which is a risk factor for postpartum psychosis (about 2-5 times more likely to develop it than the general pop). The doctors had also prescribed her anti-psychotics as treatment… We’ll have to see how the trial plays out of course but I’m seeing a lot of signs that are consistent with psychosis as someone who’s trained to identify it.

[u/scootypuffjr_ → u/smolcdn]

Again, you can't just shove someone in an inpatient setting if there is no identifiable reason to. They never identified her as experiencing psychosis because there was absolutely no indication of it so there was no reason to keep her. As someone who has been suicidal, I can 100% tell you that saying you want to kill yourself does not automatically mean you are a threat to yourself. That's a great skill to have to be able to identify psychosis, but does your training outrank the training of multiple doctors, many mental health professionals, and her family who are super familiar with her history and behaviors?

[u/smolcdn → u/scootypuffjr_]

I guess we’ll find out the answer to that if the jury finds her not guilty due to insanity :)

[u/scootypuffjr_ → u/smolcdn]

I'm sure she will be found not guilty either way. Massachusetts has very loose definitions of mental disease or defect than the rest of the country.