Nurse accused of killing three children appeared calm after tragedy, court hears

Days after she allegedly killed her three young children and jumped from a second-floor window, Lindsay Clancy appeared calm, coherent, and cooperative during psychiatric evaluations, a doctor told Plymouth Superior Court on Monday.

The testimony came as Clancy’s murder trial entered its second week, with jurors hearing from several medical experts regarding her mental state after the January 2023 tragedy.

The former nurse is accused of strangling her children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and eight-month-old Callan, using exercise bands at their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, before attempting to take her own life. The fall left her paralysed.

Psychiatrist Sejal Shah testified that she assessed Clancy several times at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CBS Evening News (@cbseveningnews)

During an evaluation on January 30, Clancy denied having suicidal or homicidal thoughts, showed no signs of hallucinations, and spoke in a clear and goal-directed manner.

Shah noted under cross-examination that while Clancy appeared honest, individuals experiencing psychosis can still communicate clearly and make logical plans.

Prosecutors argue that Clancy planned and carried out the killings deliberately.

The defence maintains she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible.

Forensic psychiatrist Jhilam Biswas testified that she examined Clancy two days after the incident while she was on a ventilator.

Communicating in writing, Clancy requested a lawyer and asked about her physical condition, writing, "Is my body broken?" and "Are my legs straight?" Biswas testified that Clancy showed no obvious signs of delusions at the time.

A physician from South Shore Hospital testified that Clancy suffered a severe spinal injury, though scans showed no head trauma and cuts to her wrists and neck were superficial. An intensive care nurse added that Clancy briefly went into cardiac arrest and displayed a notably flat emotional affect.

Medical examiners confirmed all three children died from severe oxygen deprivation caused by strangulation.

Journal entries recovered from the home revealed Clancy’s mental health struggles.

In one entry, she wrote, "It's like I'm so desperate to get a mental break from taking care of everyone that my mind is trying to make something physically wrong with me." In another, she wrote, "I want help. I want to be well."

Her husband, Patrick Clancy, previously described her worsening insomnia and anxiety. He testified that during a phone call a week after the deaths, Clancy told him she had heard a male voice telling her to act before she "lost her chance."

The trial continues this week.