The courtroom fell silent as a defense expert testified that Lindsay Clancy was turned away by a suicide hotline not once, but twice, in the days before she killed her three children. Dr. Paul Zizelle, a psychiatrist who has treated Clancy since the January 2023 killings, delivered the explosive testimony on Thursday, painting a devastating portrait of a woman he said was desperately seeking help for a deteriorating mental state.
She was worried about killing herself, Dr. Zizelle said, his voice steady as he recounted the calls. She was turned away.
The testimony marked a pivotal moment in the trial of Clancy, 33, who has admitted to strangling her five-year-old daughter Cora, three-year-old son Dawson, and eight-month-old son Callen in their Duxbury, Massachusetts home. Her defense team, led by renowned attorney Kevin Reddington, is arguing that she was not criminally responsible for the murders due to severe postpartum psychosis. The burden now falls on the Commonwealth to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Clancy was of sound mind when she committed the acts.
Dr. Zizelle, who has met with Clancy approximately 45 times since the incident, testified that she was suffering from bipolar disorder with postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings. He stated unequivocally that she was unable to conform her behavior to the rule of law and had no appreciation for the wrongfulness of her actions.
My opinion is that she did have indeed a mental disease or a defect, he said, directly addressing the jury. She had bipolar disorder with postpartum psychosis.
The defense has built its case around the argument that Clancy was failed by a mental health system that dismissed her escalating cries for help. Testimony from her mother, sister, and even her former mother-in-law, Susan Clancy, has painted a picture of a woman who was unraveling in the months leading up to the tragedy. Susan Clancy, the mother of Patrick Clancy, Lindsay’s estranged husband, took the stand for the defense, a move that legal experts called a strategic masterstroke.
Susan Clancy described Lindsay as a wonderful mother who loved her children very, very much. She testified that she saw a dramatic shift in Lindsay after the birth of her youngest child, Callen. She was begging for help, Susan Clancy said, her voice trembling at times.
She was not faking. The testimony was a powerful rebuttal to the prosecution’s suggestion that Clancy was malingering or exaggerating her symptoms.
The cross-examination of Susan Clancy, however, took a tense and unexpected turn. Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague asked the witness if she was an active member of the Catholic Church. When Susan Clancy answered yes, Sprague followed up with a pointed question: So, you’re aware that murder is considered a mortal sin.
The courtroom erupted in objections, and the judge immediately called a sidebar. After the conference, the judge instructed the jury to disregard the question entirely, warning them not to consider it for any purpose.
Legal analysts were quick to criticize the prosecution’s line of questioning. I just don’t understand it, said criminal defense attorney Will Corman, who has been following the trial closely. It was guaranteed to draw an objection.
I can’t imagine why they asked that question. It makes no sense. The incident highlighted the high stakes and raw emotions surrounding a case that has drawn comparisons to the infamous Andrea Yates trial.
The defense has also focused on the medications Clancy was prescribed, particularly Zoloft, and the possibility that they contributed to her mental state. Dr. Donald Condi, a forensic psychiatrist, testified that Zoloft can cause jitteriness and increased anxiety in some patients, side effects that can appear rapidly.
He also raised the possibility that Clancy had undiagnosed bipolar disorder, a condition that significantly increases the risk of postpartum psychosis.
According to the National Institute of Health, women with pre-existing bipolar disorder are up to 200 percent more likely to experience postpartum psychosis. Dr. Condi testified that Clancy’s behavior after the birth of her youngest child, including running a road race shortly after delivery, could be indicative of a hypomanic episode.
It’s unusual to decide to run so soon after delivering a baby, he said.
The prosecution has pushed back hard on the defense’s narrative, arguing that Clancy never reported hearing voices or experiencing psychosis to any of the multiple healthcare providers she saw in the months before the killings. Dr. Zizelle acknowledged that Clancy did not report auditory hallucinations to her therapists or nurse practitioners, but he offered an explanation.
She was afraid that her children would be taken away from her if she reported very severe symptoms, he testified. She was also concerned about her nursing license.
The defense has also called into question the severity of Clancy’s suicide attempt. Dr. Elizabeth Laposada, a forensic pathologist, testified that Clancy’s injuries were consistent with a genuine attempt to take her own life.
She had full thickness lacerations on both wrists and her throat, and she jumped from a second-story window onto frozen ground. The prosecution, however, seized on the fact that Clancy suffered no visible head injuries from the fall, suggesting the attempt may not have been as serious as portrayed.
You keep saying you’re sure there were bruises, prosecutor Sprague pressed during cross-examination. That’s not shown in any photographs or medical evidence. So, you’re not sure, are you?
You’re assuming. Dr. Laposada held her ground, insisting that her conclusions were based on a thorough review of the medical records.
No, I’m sure, she replied.
The tension in the courtroom was palpable as the prosecution demonstrated with actual exercise bands from an evidence bag how the ligatures were used in the killings. The band was wrapped around the child’s neck several times and then left there, Sprague said, holding up the band. It just fell apart.
It didn’t stay in a circle. The demonstration was a stark reminder of the horrific nature of the crimes.
Clancy, who has been held at Tewksbury State Hospital since her arrest, was present in the courtroom throughout the testimony. Dr. Zizelle described her current state as one of profound grief.
Lindsay Clancy has bad days and worst days, he said. She really loves her children and misses them and thinks of them every single day, almost every moment of the day.
The defense is expected to rest its case in the coming days, after which the jury will begin deliberations. The outcome will hinge on whether the Commonwealth can prove that Clancy was criminally responsible for her actions. Under Massachusetts law, the burden is on the prosecution to disprove the defense’s claim of lack of criminal responsibility beyond a reasonable doubt.
Legal experts say the defense has presented a compelling case, but the prosecution still has a path to victory. The government will likely focus on the fact that Clancy never reported hearing voices to any of her healthcare providers, and that she appeared to function normally in the days leading up to the killings. They will also point to the meticulous nature of the killings, arguing that they were planned and deliberate.
But for now, the defense has seized the momentum. Dr. Zizelle’s testimony, in particular, has resonated with observers.
He did a great job explaining methodically what he did and the conclusions he got to, said Corman. He got out of the way and Attorney Reddington got out of the way. Honestly, watching the two of them with their questions and answers, you could show that video to law students.
It was perfect.
As the trial enters its final phase, the question remains: will the jury believe that Lindsay Clancy was a mother driven to madness by a system that failed her, or a woman who committed an unforgivable act with a clear mind? The answer will determine whether she spends the rest of her life in a psychiatric facility or a prison cell.