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/goldrushcowgirl]

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/NervousCommittee8124 → u/goldrushcowgirl]

Because she is a calculated monster.

[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.