Lindsay Clancy, a Massachusetts mother, allegedly strangled her three children—Cora (5), Dawson (3), and Callan (8 months)—on January 24, 2023, before attempting suicide by jumping from a second-story window. Her husband, Patrick Clancy, returned home shortly after to discover the tragedy. Lindsay survived but faces murder charges. Her trial, originally delayed, is now scheduled for July 20, 2026, with her defense pursuing an insanity plea based on postpartum psychosis.
Patrick has publicly forgiven his wife and advocates for compassion, while prosecutors claim she premeditated the act by sending him out for dinner.
The Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Patrick filed a civil wrongful death suit on behalf of his children’s estates against Lindsay’s healthcare providers, including South Shore Health (where his mother worked). Key allegations:
- Medication Overload: Lindsay received at least nine psychiatric drugs in the months before the incident, with eight prescribed in just three weeks (November 16 to December 5, 2022).
- Timeline of Prescriptions:Medication (Brand)Purpose (Common Use)Prescription ContextSertraline (Zoloft)Antidepressant (anxiety/depression)Initial Rx after Callan’s birth; caused insomnia, worsened anxiety.TrazodoneSedative/antidepressant (sleep)ER visit after Zoloft side effects.Fluoxetine (Prozac)AntidepressantWithin three-week span.Zolpidem tartrate (Ambien)Sleep aidWithin three-week span.Mirtazapine (Remeron)Antidepressant (sleep/appetite)Within three-week span.Clonazepam (Klonopin)Benzodiazepine (anxiety)Within three-week span.Quetiapine fumarate (Seroquel)Antipsychotic (mood/sleep)Within three-week span.Diazepam (Valium)Benzodiazepine (anxiety/muscle spasms)Within three-week span.Lamotrigine (Lamictal)Mood stabilizer (bipolar/depression)Within three-week span.
- Core Claim: Providers negligently prescribed a “bevy of diverse and powerful medications” without proper monitoring. Medical records cited describe Lindsay hearing a male voice urging her to kill her children and herself to spare them suffering—linked to her deteriorating mental state post-Callan’s birth.
- Outcome Sought: Patrick argues proper care would have prevented the deaths.
South Shore Health responded neutrally, prioritizing patient safety but declining comment due to litigation.
Key Medical and Legal Context
Postpartum psychosis affects about 1-2 per 1,000 new mothers, often involving delusions, hallucinations, and severe mood swings, per sources like the Mayo Clinic and Postpartum Support International. It’s a psychiatric emergency, distinct from “baby blues” or depression, and can emerge rapidly after birth.
- Polypharmacy Risks: Combining antidepressants (SSRIs like Zoloft/Prozac), benzodiazepines (Klonopin/Valium), antipsychotics (Seroquel), and others increases side effects like agitation, insomnia, or psychosis exacerbation—especially without close monitoring. FDA black-box warnings on antidepressants note suicide risk in young adults/peripartum women.
- Insanity Defense: Massachusetts law requires proving mental disease/ defect prevented understanding right/wrong. Success rates are low (~25% nationally), but postpartum cases (e.g., Andrea Yates) have succeeded.
- Civil vs. Criminal: Patrick’s suit focuses on negligence, separate from Lindsay’s criminal trial. Similar cases, like the 2023 Colorado lawsuit against providers in a postpartum filicide, highlight growing scrutiny of perinatal mental health care.
This tragedy underscores gaps in maternal mental health screening—U.S. rates of untreated postpartum depression hover at 10-15%. Resources like PSI’s helpline (1-800-944-4773) offer support. Trial outcomes could influence prescribing standards.
