What We Know About The Lindsay Clancy Case, A Mother Charged With Murdering Her 3 Young Children Before Attempting Suicide

It's a horrifying story of a mother who is being accused of killing all three of her young children before attempting to commit suicide. Cases like this are often sensationalized for clicks and views, and there is a lot of speculation about what happened. We may not ever know for sure what exactly transpired on the night of January 24 in Duxbury, MA, but we can at least start with gathering the details that have been confirmed by law enforcement, police dispatch calls, press conferences, etc. Here's what we know so far about the Lindsay Clancy case.

Lindsay Clancy Allegedly Killed Her 3 Young Children and Attempted Suicide

Around 6:10pm on January 24, Patrick Clancy called 911 after arriving to his Duxbury home. He found his wife, 32-year-old Lindsay Clancy, on the ground in their backyard. It appeared as though she jumped out of a top window of the house, which was about 20 feet high, in an attempt to commit suicide. When first responders arrived on the scene, they found that all three of the Clancy children were unconscious.

Cora, 5, and Dawson, 3, were allegedly found in the basement of the home. It's not clear yet where exactly in the home Callan, 8 months old, was found. But all three children were airlifted to hospitals. Sadly, Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. Callan fought for his life but on January 27, he passed away.

Patrick was only gone for about 20 minutes that evening to pick up dinner and stop by CVS, as security footage corroborates. The entire tragedy unfolded in the short amount of time that he was out of the home.

There has been much speculation about how the children were killed, but law enforcement has not confirmed anything yet. Police dispatch calls indicate that there was a knife on the scene and that Lindsay perhaps cut herself before jumping out the window. We do know that Lindsay is facing charges of murder, strangulation, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Lindsay survived the suicide attempt and police dispatch calls show that she was conscious when first responders arrived. She is currently in serious condition at a Boston Hospital; reportedly, she is able to move her arms and legs, but she is not yet able to get out of bed or walk. She has only been permitted to communicate with her attorney and medical team—nobody else. However, the court has agreed for a forensic psychologist to visit Lindsay and evaluate her with a sheriff present (out of earshot to provide privacy). Additionally, Lindsay will be given the opportunity to speak with her parents for the first time.

On Tuesday, February 7, Lindsay will be arraigned at 2 p.m. in Plymouth District Court. She will appear via Zoom from the hospital. Lindsay's defense attorney Kevin Reddington, says the authorities “will probably hold her without bail and she’ll be sent to Framingham.” MCI-Framingham is a prison for female offenders that is located between Boston and Worcester.

Cora, Dawson, and Callan were buried on Friday in a private service. Holy Family Church, located in Duxbury, began a 23-hour silent prayer service at the same time the children were laid to rest.

Lindsay Clancy Was Reportedly Struggling with Postpartum Depression

Lindsay is a 32-year-old labor and delivery nurse who was reportedly on leave and being treated for postpartum depression. She was open about her mental health struggles in a Facebook group: "I tried Zoloft and after taking it for a week and increasing to 50mg I had extreme insomnia and also felt like it was worsening my depression and I had no appetite whatsoever so I had to stop taking it." A recent post on her personal Facebook page indicated that she was doing everything she could through diet and exercise to improve her condition.

In a statement released by Patrick, he said, "Our marriage was wonderful and diametrically grew stronger as her condition rapidly worsened." He also talked about what Lindsay was like before she started struggling with PPD.

"I want to ask all of you that you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay, as I have," he writes. "The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone - me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients. The very fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace."

Reddington announced that Lindsay was prescribed 13 different psychiatric medications between October 2022 and January 2023, including Ambien, Zoloft, Ativan, Seroquel, and Prozac. “The medications that were prescribed were over the top, absolutely over the top," he said. “She had medical care and treatment on a regular basis. And her husband was very proactive in trying to protect her and help her with the doctors’ medication she was prescribed. They went through hell — and they didn’t come back.”

Reddington also told the press that Patrick visited Lindsay's doctors the week before the tragedy and begged for help, saying that the medications were turning her into "a zombie." Reportedly, Patrick was never told by her doctors to not leave her alone with the children.

The case has sparked a national conversation about postpartum depression and psychosis. By every account, Lindsay was a loving mother who adored her children. Sadly, she was struggling with her mental health and her attorney claims that the medical system failed her. This story has captured the minds of many women across the country who have wrestled with PPD themselves; some have even come forward to talk about the difficulties they've had taking various psychiatric medications.

This case is still very much in the preliminary stages but Reddington is considering an involuntary intoxication defense. We will know more on Tuesday when Lindsay is arraigned.