Key facts
- Jury selection has begun in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of killing her three children.
- Clancy's defense is expected to argue she was not responsible due to postpartum psychosis.
- Prosecutors allege the killings were premeditated and intentional.
- Clancy herself was paralyzed after attempting suicide on the same night the children died.
- The defense team claims Clancy experienced hallucinations and delusions after giving birth and sought medical treatment.
- Clancy and her husband previously filed a civil suit against her medical providers for alleged mishandling of her postpartum condition.
Jury selection has commenced in Massachusetts for Lindsay Clancy, a mother accused of killing her three children in 2023. Her defense team intends to argue that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time, rendering her not responsible for the deaths. Prosecutors, however, allege that the killings were premeditated and intentional. Clancy has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Investigators have stated that Clancy sent her husband, Patrick Clancy, away from their home to ensure she would be alone with the children. Evidence suggests she researched how long her husband's errands would take to maximize her time alone. The defense plans to present evidence that Clancy experienced hallucinations and delusions following childbirth, and was undergoing treatment for psychiatric issues that developed postpartum.
In a civil case filed earlier this year, Clancy and her husband accused her medical providers of failing to properly diagnose, treat, and monitor her for a severe postpartum psychiatric condition. The filing detailed Clancy's struggles with sleep and auditory hallucinations telling her to harm herself and her children, and highlighted her efforts to seek medical help, including hospitalizations and crisis hotlines.
Patrick Clancy, in a GoFundMe post after the killings, described the "excruciating and relentless" pain but asked for people to view his wife as he did, emphasizing her loving nature. The UK's National Health Service defines postpartum psychosis as a rare but serious mental illness requiring immediate medical attention.
Five of the 18 jurors required for the trial were seated on Monday. Clancy has been receiving treatment at a state hospital between court appearances, and her husband and others are expected to testify.