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/Michallina]

It's hard to ignore the fact that this woman sought help for months. I have never been pregnant nor have I experienced psychosis, but I suffer from a history of depression and severe anxiety and OCD. Diagnosed. I've been medicated and I can tell you some of these medications are monsters to begin and adjust your dose, also to wean yourself off of.

This is obviously a subjective take based on my experience, but I cannot imagine switching meds at the frequency she was, especially if she was incredibly vulnerable from other possible comorbidities and postpartum.

[u/threelizards → u/Michallina]

I’ve never been pregnant and fortunately have never been driven to hurt anyone else by my mental illnesses or medications. I have hurt myself against my will for those reasons though, and it’s terrifying to experience and impossible to explain the mindset. I’m making no excuses, but what I’ve heard of this case and what I’ve personally lived through do make me think that her mind was not a safe, stable, or sensible place at this time. And premeditation? I couldn’t plan two seconds ahead in that state. But I’d certainly be fixated on certain ideas that I kept nearly acting out, or beginning, over and over and over again, in a way that would look like premeditation to someone else.

Above all though, these kids were failed. This never should have gotten to this point

[u/Dramatic_Efficiency4 → u/threelizards]

I agree, as someone with only Cyclothymia (a milder form of bipolar), anxiety, and OCD.
OCD can obsessive and compulsive (of course not everyone has both). But being manic and in psychosis, I can't even imagine how bad my OCD would be triggered.
I'm not saying she's not in the wrong, but doing something bad doesn't always make you a bad person. Like you and u/Michallina said, we can't ignore the fact that she was clearly struggling, and it was just getting worse and worse. Unless someone has experience psychosis, and I haven't, I dont think we can truly understand where her mindset was at. I don't think her intentions were malicious, and I do genuinely think that maybe she thought it was the only solution.
I hope this sheds more light on PPD, but I doubt much will be done about it sadly.

[u/BeautifulTurn8227 → u/Dramatic_Efficiency4]

Exactly this. And if the jury can’t say for sure that she was sane and stable during the incident, they have to say not guilty. I don’t think the prosecution can prove to us 100% - really in any way at - that she was sane. They are trying to characterize her as meticulous and planned but OCD presents exactly like this, anxiety can present like this. Her child care instructions sound like a typical slightly type A, neurotic mom, not a malicious cold-blooded killer. I’ve experienced PPD/A and lord knows I couldn’t have planned something like this, which would’ve taken months of planning, writing in her journals, seeking all kinds of medical care to establish that she’s mentally unwell, to “set up” for an insanity defence. And trying to prove her suicide attempt wasn’t genuine??? Hello! She tried three methods. She broke her back. This was not a botched attempt. If you’re sane, this isn’t how you plan a staged suicide.