Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three young children, collapsed in court multiple times this week as a forensic pathologist detailed the autopsies of her five-year-old daughter Kora and three-year-old son Dawson, her sobs audible to the entire courtroom before the judge called an emergency recess.
The emotional breakdowns marked just one of nine bombshell moments that erupted during the third week of Clancy’s trial, where her defense argues she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis and not criminally responsible for the January 2023 killings. The Commonwealth, meanwhile, presented a parade of medical professionals whose testimony often clashed with the defense’s narrative of a failed mental health system.
In a stunning revelation, Dr. Jennifer Tufts, Clancy’s former psychiatrist and a defendant in a separate civil malpractice lawsuit, admitted under cross-examination that she never once saw Clancy in person during 14 appointments spanning September 2022 to January 2023. Every session was conducted via telemedicine.
“Until you came in this courtroom Friday, you never saw this woman in person, did you?” defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked. “Correct,” Tufts replied.
Reddington pressed Tufts on her limited experience, noting she had been practicing independently for only about a month when she first treated Clancy. He asked how many patients she had treated for postpartum psychosis in that time. “None, because it’s a very rare disorder,” Tufts said.
The exchange grew tense when Reddington challenged her notes, pointing out that she had written “pressured speech” instead of “not pressured speech.” Tufts shot back, “I don’t care what it says. I know what I meant.”
The defense also highlighted that Tufts prescribed Zoloft despite its black-box warning about suicidal and homicidal ideation in young adults. Reddington asked why she would give a medication that can cause severe insomnia to a postpartum woman already struggling to sleep. Tufts defended the choice as a first-line treatment, but the jury saw her struggle to recall specific side effects Clancy reported.
Another bombshell came when nurse practitioner Rebecca Gelada testified that Patrick Clancy, Lindsay’s husband, dismissed her suggestion of a possible bipolar disorder diagnosis. “My wife is not bipolar,” Gelada recalled Patrick saying, while Lindsay remained silent. Gelada had raised the possibility after Clancy experienced an “activating response” to Zoloft, going 48 hours without sleep.
The trial took an unexpected turn when Reddington revealed he intends to call a TikTok creator, Emily Thorndike, as a witness. Thorndike, a former social worker at McLean Hospital where Clancy was treated, posted a video claiming the prosecution misrepresented the level of care Clancy received. She argued that during the New Year’s holiday, patients saw a different doctor each day, not the same psychiatrist.
The judge took the motion under advisement.
During cross-examination of a mental health counselor, Reddington brought up Clancy’s cannabis use, referring to it as “the devil’s lettuce.” The counselor confirmed Clancy had used a marijuana gummy to help with sleep in November 2022. The remark drew sharp attention from the gallery.
The most gut-wrenching moment came when Dr. Renee Stonebridge, a forensic pathologist, described the ligature furrow on Kora’s neck and the mechanism of death by asphyxiation. Clancy, seated at the defense table, began crying audibly, saying, “I can’t do it.”
The judge immediately called a recess. When court resumed, Clancy kept her head down on the desk, sobbing through further testimony about irreversible brain damage from strangulation.
Throughout the week, the Commonwealth called multiple witnesses who described Clancy as a loving mother who showed no signs of psychosis or mania during her treatment. A mental health counselor testified that Clancy never reported hallucinations or delusions. Yet the defense countered with evidence that Clancy had called a suicide hotline and was told she did not meet criteria for inpatient care because she lacked a plan.
Reddington also elicited testimony about Clancy’s cannabis use, sarcastically referring to marijuana as “the devil’s lettuce” and asking why she used it. The witness said Clancy tried a gummy to help with sleep. The exchange underscored the defense’s argument that Clancy was desperately seeking help but was failed by a fragmented system.
The most visceral moment came when Dr. Renee Stonebridge, a forensic pathologist, described the ligature furrow on Kora’s neck and the mechanism of asphyxia. Clancy began crying audibly, whispering “I can’t do it.”
The judge immediately halted proceedings. Later, when Dr. Olsen testified about the time it takes for brain death to occur after oxygen deprivation, Clancy broke down again, forcing another recess.
Outside the courtroom, the trial has ignited fierce debate on social media. Many users express sympathy for Clancy, citing their own postpartum mental health struggles, while others demand accountability for the deaths of three children. The jury, which includes mothers and fathers, has been visibly affected, with at least three members reportedly crying during autopsy testimony.
The defense’s case is expected to begin next week, with the potential TikTok witness and expert testimony on postpartum psychosis. Reddington has signaled he will argue that Clancy was screaming for help and no one answered, painting a picture of systemic neglect rather than cold-blooded murder. The Commonwealth, meanwhile, continues to emphasize the horrific nature of the crimes and Clancy’s apparent lucidity in the months before the killings.
As the trial enters its fourth week, the courtroom remains charged with emotion and legal fireworks. Lindsay Clancy’s fate now rests in the hands of a jury tasked with deciding whether she was a calculating killer or a victim of a broken mental health system. The answer will reverberate far beyond the Duxbury courthouse.