Lindsay Clancy trial expert reports voice that ordered her children’s deaths
A forensic psychologist said Lindsay Clancy, accused of murdering her three children in Duxbury, Massachusetts, heard a male voice that instructed her to take the children’s lives and then her own. The testimony was given by Dr. Paul Zeizel on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, during the 16th day of the woman’s trial, who faces charges of qualified homicide.
The specialist was the first to have contact with Clancy after the crimes, which occurred in January 2023. He described a conversation he witnessed at Brigham and Women’s hospital, where Clancy was admitted to the ICU, handcuffed to the bed and under police surveillance. Using the psychologist’s cell phone on speakerphone, she spoke to her then husband, Patrick Clancy, for the first time since the day of the incident.
During the call, she expressed her love for Patrick and revealed that she heard a male voice ordering her, stating that she “had no choice, that she had to kill her children and then kill herself”, as Zeizel reported to the jurors. The expert had already made a similar testimony as a witness for the prosecution at the beginning of the judicial process.
More on this story: Lindsay Clancy breaks down in tears in court while reading her children’s names
Clancy’s defense maintains that she suffered from postpartum psychosis and therefore should not be held criminally responsible for her actions. Zeizel reinforced this argument, indicating that the woman had bipolar disorder with postpartum psychosis. He stated that she had a “mental illness and defect” that prevented her from “conforming her behavior to the code of law” and from having “an appreciation of the unlawfulness of the act.”
The psychologist administered tests and concluded that Clancy did not have antisocial personality disorder, often associated with sociopathy. “The result was that she did not have any antisocial personality disorder,” he declared. He also ruled out the possibility of malingering, noting that there was “no evidence of malingering”, and that she presented herself as “an honest citizen”.
Psychosis does not prevent carrying out daily tasks, explains expert
Zeizel detailed that individuals in a psychotic state are capable of performing routine and complex tasks. On January 24, 2023, before strangling 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan in the basement of their home, Clancy had taken his daughter Cora to a pediatric appointment, played in the snow with the children, and ordered takeout.
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“People in a state of psychosis can do things they have already done before,” said the psychologist. He explained that intrusive thoughts are persistent and affect everyday life. In the weeks before the crimes, Clancy also searched the internet for terms such as psychosis, hallucinations, sociopathy and the effects of medication.
The specialist provided information about Lindsay Clancy’s previous symptoms. In December 2022, she reported feeling like her brain was damaged, had concerns that other people could hear her thoughts, and was afraid that child protective services would take away her children. During this period, Clancy called suicide prevention hotlines twice, but was not answered because she did not present a concrete plan. She was voluntarily admitted to McLean Hospital between December 30, 2022 and January 5, 2023.
Trial attracts mothers seeking to raise awareness about perinatal mental health
As the testimony continued, a group of women, mostly mothers from New England, filled the audience at the Plymouth courthouse. Some of them work in the health sector. The group said it was present to humanize the narratives of families facing perinatal mental disorders and to highlight existing flaws in the care system.
Now 36 years old, Clancy was paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-floor window on the day of the crimes. She remains detained at Tewksbury State Hospital without bail and continues to undergo treatment.
If the jury decides to acquit her due to lack of criminal responsibility, she will not be released home. Instead, she will be sent to a state psychiatric hospital, where she will undergo periodic reviews to assess her ability to live safely in the community.
The trial, which has already lasted more than four weeks, is expected to continue with the presentation of other defense experts. Psychologist Zeizel returned to the witness stand on Wednesday, after beginning his testimony the day before.
