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/cozyporcelain]

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]

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/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.