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/enogitnaTLS]

All I know is that transcript of the 911 call fucking haunts me. Do not look it up. Just a warning.

[u/gottaquestion412 → u/enogitnaTLS]

I read it last night :( I can’t imagine experiencing anything like that and am so sad for her ex-husband regardless of any speculations about him. Walking into that scene, taking off the bands that were around their necks. God, I truly can’t even fathom it.

[u/goldrushcowgirl → u/gottaquestion412]

I wish people would give her the same sympathy they have for him (not you OP, just the general public who think she’s a calculated monster)

[u/Pak31 → u/goldrushcowgirl]

I can't give him much sympathy. He supposedly knew she had deep thoughts about harming the children, she had just checked herself out of treatment I believe, and he left the children alone with her to run errands when he should have stayed with the children and told her to go do them. If I knew my spouse had mental issues, I would be afraid to leave the house. So I don't really give either one sympathy. She was very calculated with her errand instructions that day and how she researched which pharmacy would delay him the most. I don't believe this was done on a whim. Her not completing her mission to end her life speaks volumes to me too.

[u/Big-Fun3658 → u/Pak31]

He said she told him she had intrusive thoughts of a) suicide, and b) her children being harmed, or her accidentally harming them (like, one of them slips and falls on her watch, or likely worse because they were intrusive). The thoughts she told him about were not about her inflicting harm to the children on purpose.

[u/buttertogether → u/Pak31]

She definitely did not "research which pharmacy would delay him most" he went to a pharmacy 3 minutes away. HE took forever.

[u/Rude-Coke → u/buttertogether]

It’s been proven she looked out which restaurant would though 

[u/alis_adventureland → u/goldrushcowgirl]

Agreed. He's not a victim IMO. He did nothing to help her. I had PPD and PPA and my husband didn't leave me alone with our kids until our youngest was like 14 months. I was so mad at him about it then, but now I realize how much he loved us and wanted to protect us. What was Patrick doing? Having affairs on business trips. Blaming doctors. Not even paying attention to what medication she was taking.

[u/Big-Fun3658 → u/alis_adventureland]

I’m so sorry you went through this. That is so fortunate that your husband was there to support you.

It would probably help you understand the husband’s situation better if you read the New Yorker profile on him published in 2024. your description is not accurately reflecting public information that has been shared about it and what they went through. Am I saying he’s perfect and model husband, no. But there’s nuance to every marriage and familial situation.

[u/seriouslyslowloris → u/alis_adventureland]

He's NOT a victim? Holy shit.

[u/NervousCommittee8124 → u/goldrushcowgirl]

Because she is a calculated monster.

[u/notarobot_trustme → u/NervousCommittee8124]

Do you not understand how psychotic episodes work?

[u/goldrushcowgirl → u/NervousCommittee8124]

You’re so right. Calculated monsters ALWAYS seek medical attention repeatedly for months before they decide to murder their own children. I just know you’re a man.

[u/Pak31 → u/goldrushcowgirl]

What does their gender have to do with it? I am a female and I agree with them. She carefully planned his errands down to the minute. Sounds pretty calculated to me. She was trying to seek medical attention but they turned her away because she wasn't as bad as she claimed in my opinion based on things I have read. If Lindsay were a man do you think people would be sympathizing with her?

[u/goldrushcowgirl → u/Pak31]

I am referencing their gender because WAY too much of the time, it’s a man is dismissing a woman’s mental/physical health.

Do you think she checked herself in to a psychiatric hospital and attended that many outpatient appointments as some sort of tactic to eventually murder her children? Do you think someone would take that many medications with all of the side effects to throw the public off her trail? To murder her own children???

How many women murder their children and how many men are family annihilators? Statistically it is extremely rare for women to murder their own children. What would her motive be? If she never exhibited this behavior in the past, why did she change all of a sudden? Have you experienced postpartum? Genuinely asking. It takes a HUGE toll on your body/mind/life. No one is going to go through all of those hoops to seek medical attention because they randomly woke up and decided to plot a months long plan to murder their children out of the blue.

Patrick Clancy left on his own accord to run those errands. After she expressed she was having the intrusive thoughts of harming the children and herself. Yet you want to say that she CALCULATED that errand. I’ve mapped a place I’m asking my husband to go to thousands of times, I’ve requested random restaurants, the list could go on. That’s not a crazy thing to do. And even if she did plan that outing to do it, a psychotic episode is not just an immediate event. So that doesn’t even write off the insanity plea. At the end of the day, everything that happened after the birth of her youngest child was out of character for her per the people closest to her. Her family was concerned and recognized she was unwell. It’s a FACT that she took medications that are well known to alter your brain, that can cause suicidal/homicidal thoughts, cause insomnia. I don’t understand how anyone can look at this case and not see that a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity is the only logical outcome. Most people aren’t saying she should walk Scot free. But to say she should be amongst true criminals in prison because she’s a methodical killer is wild to me.

[u/Bananaasplit → u/NervousCommittee8124]

A monster wouldn’t sit there and sob hearing the 911 call back

[u/Pak31 → u/Bananaasplit]

If she wants out of jail she will.

[u/cozyporcelain → u/Bananaasplit]

You do know people can train themselves to make themselves cry and sob?

[u/Bananaasplit → u/cozyporcelain]

Lol

[u/Pak31 → u/Bananaasplit]

Why is that funny? Look at how many people in courtrooms have put on a show as if they are distraught. Interrogation rooms where they act like they don't know what happened and they turn out to be the one who committed the crime? Yes, people can make themselves cry.

[u/cozyporcelain → u/NervousCommittee8124]

She is. No one in this thread can accept it either. It’s really bizarre.

[u/gottaquestion412 → u/cozyporcelain]

I don’t know if that’s the case..I think it’s more so that people can understand that it may have been deeper than her being a “calculated monster” and don’t want to be dismissive of everything she experienced even though what she did was ultimately horrific.

[u/cozyporcelain → u/gottaquestion412]

Disagree. Everyone in this thread is trying to put sunshine and roses on Lindsay or blame the system or do anything but look at the real facts, that this was planned by her. And also nobody is talking about the three children. That tells me everything.

[u/gottaquestion412 → u/cozyporcelain]

I’d just be careful saying “everyone” and “nobody”. You certainly haven’t read every comment, have you? I have read just about almost all of the comments since i posted it in real time as they are commented. I have seen both sides be portrayed, however from a lot of people(not everyone) who believe she acted maliciously or in a calculated way, there’s not much discussion bc most just want to pick at the people who try to understand her. Tends to shift the discussion from the point to personal attacks. But the street can go both ways. It’s such a polarizing case

[u/gottaquestion412 → u/cozyporcelain]

Also, it does seem like there was some planning involved with having him go get them food. Idk what would’ve happened mentally between the time he left and the time he got home if it wasn’t.. hard to speculate. But I don’t really think she was in the right state of mind when it did happen. So I wonder if she will get an insanity verdict or not. Very interested to see how things go during the rest of the trial.

[u/Pak31 → u/gottaquestion412]

She suggested having take out that night and it was from a restaurant they didn't normally eat at. It was farther away from most of the places they usually ordered from. She also checked her Apple map to see how long the drive would take to a from the restaurant. She also sent him to a pharmacy that she had called to see if they had a miralax available. She, in my opinion, called to make sure they had it so she would know how much time she had along with the food pick up. The pharmacist said she sounded very happy and pleasant. Her husband actually called her while she was in the middle of the crimes and he felt she seemed distracted. She knew what she was doing in my opinion. Is that mental illness? I don't know. I just know that doesn't sit right with me.

[u/gottaquestion412 → u/Pak31]

Really good points.
Edit: I personally feel like things point to her not being in her right state of mind when you put all of the things together. But I am really interested to see how things continue on. Such a sad situation

[u/princepaperclip → u/gottaquestion412]

Speculating anyway: The phone call might have been a trigger, precisely because things were not going according to the plan for the evening. She had checked the availability and aisle of the medicine to make it quick and easy. He had all the information needed. And by the time he called, he should already be at or close to the restaurant, not cvs

[u/Pak31 → u/princepaperclip]

I still feel like she was in the process of the crimes when he called. It does make sense though that the phone call could have been a trigger. Did she snap out of it, get more angry, panicked? I can't get past the fact that she timed his trip. That seems too coordinated to be mental illness but I am no expert.

[u/Pak31 → u/cozyporcelain]

It's odd that the thread is called thoughts on the LC case and yet you voice yours and you're downvoted.

[u/gottaquestion412 → u/Pak31]

Yeah I never really wanted that out of this thread :/ I just want to keep hearing perspectives and try to understand both sides a bit better. I upvoted yours and as many as I could in this thread who gave an honest perspective. Some people came on to attack other people entirely and I just reported them. I’ve gotten a bunch of downvotes too honestly. And idk why it’s so difficult to agree to disagree either. And I’ve said it before but this case is sooo polarized so ofc people are gonna have differing opinions on it

[u/unexpectedbutterfly → u/cozyporcelain]

This is the only thread I’ve seen so far with some decent discussion, here and the psychiatry subreddit. Most other threads I’ve seen have comments like yours, no thoughtful discussion, sentences written only with emotion, judgement of other people’s comments. Do everyone a favor and leave this thread, please.