In January of 2023, the town of Duxbury, Massachusetts, was left paralyzed. Lindsay Clancy, a 32-year-old nurse loved by everyone, took advantage of the 20 minutes it took her husband to go pick up food to do the unthinkable: she strangled her three children (Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and little Callan, just 8 months old) and then tried to take her own life by jumping from a window.
Boston Tribune
As the investigations and trial move forward, a terrifying reality has come to light. Lindsay was not a violent woman; she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, an extreme condition that affects 1 in 1,000 mothers and causes hallucinations, delusions and a total disconnection from reality. Lindsay had sought help, was under a cocktail of 12 different medications and had expressed feeling “voices” telling her to do things.
Clancy Family
The case has generated polarization; her husband, Patrick Clancy, publicly forgave his wife, asking people to understand that the Lindsay who committed the act was not the real Lindsay, but a version consumed by illness.
The prosecution argued that the crime was planned, noting that she waited until she was alone and looked up the restaurant’s address to make sure how much time she would have.
Boston Tribune
Today, Lindsay Clancy remains paralyzed from the waist down due to her suicide attempt and is in custody at a psychiatric hospital instead of a regular jail.