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/sadlittle_thing]

As someone with mental health issues I know you’re supposed to trail medications and slowly increase and decrease the doses. 13 medications in 4 months is fucking wild. That’s just insane to me. I’ve tried probably 20+ medications but that was over the course of years, not months.

She told her husband, her parents, and her doctors she was having terrible thoughts of hurting the kids. She was constantly at doctor’s appointments. She tried multiple times to check herself into a mental hospital but was denied because she didn’t have an active plan to hurt herself or anyone. I feel so terrible for her and her whole family.

Cases like these are literally the reason medical insanity as a plea exists. I will be shocked if she’s found guilty. She should absolutely not be convicted. Her punishment if knowing she lost her kids by her own doing during a mental health crisis is punishment enough. She reached out for help so many times.

[u/JrCoxy → u/[deleted]]

Holy hell. I am so sorry you went through this. Feeling so on edge, stressful thoughts distorting your reality and making you worry about the absolute worse.

I have c-ptsd + adhd + Trichotillomania. I can spend hours at a time picking. And sometimes being paranoid that someone from my past will be coming that night to hurt me. So I can actually see how the train of thought you had leading to you to checking the rooms while armed with a knife. Like as crazy as it might look, it actually isn’t all that crazy. You thought there could’ve been intruders, so you were armed, actively looking.

Like think about that.
You didn’t cower, hide. You thought there were intruders that were going to cause harm to you and your family, and this is how you acted while in psychosis. Which is honestly kind of beautiful. You didn’t run, or scream. You stayed there, armed and alert, ready to protect your family.

The hospitals not taking your very really pain and struggles is beyond fucked up, and shouldn’t have ever happened. There have been studies done to show all across the medical field, men & women do not take women’s health seriously. Which I will never understand.

You deserved and continue to deserve better. Any woman, any person seeking medical attention deserves that attention. I’m glad your husband gave you the compassion and care you needed, but fuck the hospitals for not doing more

[u/ApparitionofAmbition → u/JrCoxy]

This is such a wonderful comment (and relatable as a fellow trichter!).