August 30, 2024 • 21 mins
On January 24, 2023, A Massachusetts mom killed her 3 young children before trying to take her own life....Was this due to a mental health crisis or was it premeditated murder?
If you would like to support this podcast please click the link below!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello everyone, welcome back to The Victim's Voice.
I am your host, Laura B. Today's episode is one that the
true crime community is very divided on, debating whether
this was premeditated murder or if it was due to a postpartum
psychotic break. To be honest, I still go back
and forth on it myself. So today I'm going to give you
(00:20):
all the facts that we know of todate and see what conclusion you
make. This is the story of Lindsey
Clancy. Lindsey Clancy graduated from
Lyman Hall High School in Connecticut in 2008 and went on
to get a biology degree from Quinnipiac University in 2012.
(00:40):
She then went on and earned a bachelor's degree in nursing
from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health
Professions. After graduating, she got a job
as a labor and delivery nurse atMass General Hospital.
She had been focused on her schooling and trying to start a
career, so she had really never had time to date.
But then she met a man named Patrick.
(01:01):
His sister had set them up and it was love at first sight.
After dating for a few months, Patrick took Lindsay back to
where they had their first date and proposed.
She married Patrick Clancy less than a year later in 2016.
They couldn't wait to start the rest of their lives together.
They talked about how many kids they wanted and their dream
house with the white picket fence.
(01:23):
They were young and love with good careers and their life
seemed perfect from the outside looking in.
The couple bought a three bedroom, 2 bathroom house and
Duxbury, MA that also had a big backyard where they would
eventually watch their children play.
Lindsay loved kids and couldn't wait to be a mother, so they
(01:44):
started trying to have a baby immediately.
By January of 2023, the Clancy'sdream had come true and their
family had grown into a family of five.
Lindsay and Patrick Clancy and their three kids, Cora, age 5,
Dawson, age 3, and Callan, age seven months, seem to be the
(02:05):
picture perfect family. Lindsay's Facebook page showed
photos of the five of them doingfun things together such as
going on vacations to the beach or playing outside with the kids
in their big backyard. It seemed Patrick and Lindsay
were living their best lives. To Lindsay her family meant
everything and that was obvious from her social media post where
(02:26):
she said things such as I feel like the luckiest Mama in the
world and how did I get so lucky.
But as we all know people only show the good parts of their
lives on social media and looks can be deceiving.
None of us really know what goeson behind closed doors as we
will soon find out. Tuesday January 24th of 2023 at
(02:48):
611 PMA 911 Dispatcher got a call from Patrick Clancy.
He had just gone out to grab takeout for him and Lindsay and
went by CVS to pick up medicine for one of the kids.
When he walked into the house, however, the silence was
deafening. Usually when he walked through
the door, the two older kids would come running to him, happy
(03:08):
to see their daddy, but there was none of that.
Just silence. Lindsay and the kids had been
there when he left, and they weren't planning to go anywhere
that he knew of. And besides that, Lindsay's car
was in the driveway and it was her idea for him to go pick up
dinner, so they should have beenthere waiting for him to get
back. Patrick pulled out his cell
phone to give her a call, but hegot no answer.
(03:30):
He went upstairs to his and Lindsay's bedroom, but the door
was locked. Eventually he was able to get in
the door and was shocked by whathe saw inside.
There was blood all over the floor in front of their full
length mirror and their bedroom window was wide open.
Patrick walked over to the window and looked out and
they're lying on the ground below was Lindsay.
(03:53):
Patrick immediately called 911 and ran outside to try to help
his wife. Thankfully she was conscious,
but she had slit her wrist and her neck.
Patrick cried and yelled over and over.
What have you done? She finally told him that she
had wanted to take her own life,so she had jumped out the
window. After the initial shock of
finding Lindsay wore off, Patrick realized that he still
(04:15):
didn't know where the kids were.He questioned Lindsay and all
she said was that they were in the basement.
Patrick thought that this was odd since the basement had been
turned into his office so that he could work from home.
It wasn't an area that the kids usually went into, as there was
no toys or anything down there for them, so why would the kids
be down there by themselves? Assuming the kids were safe and
(04:40):
not in any danger in the basement, Patrick stayed by
Lindsay's side until the EMS workers arrived.
He then told them that he was going to go check on the kids,
staying on the phone with the dispatcher as he went down the
basement stairs. In the 911 call you can hear
Patrick yell guys as he made hisway down the basement stairs.
(05:00):
As he reached the bottom the quietness on his end of the
phone turned into an earth shattering scream, then another
scream even louder than the one before.
The 911 dispatcher told units torespond to the basement and they
could be heard asking for additional ambulances.
They are then heard saying that they have 4 victims and that
(05:21):
they need help with chest compressions.
All three of the Clancy kids were in the basement
unresponsive, All three with theexercise bands still around
their necks that have been used to strangle them.
To the left of the basement, at the bottom of the stairs was
Patrick's office area. That's where five year old Cora
(05:42):
and seven month old Callan were found.
On the other side of the basement, little 3 year old
Dawson laid there by himself. The two older kids were rushed
to the hospital by emergency personnel while little Kalin was
airlifted to a hospital. Cora and Dawson were pronounced
dead on arrival. But little Kalin, he was a
(06:02):
fighter. They were able to find a pulse
and he was put on life support. Lindsay was also taken to the
hospital where she was said to be in critical condition.
The media was on top of things and was reporting details to the
public as they came in. At 9:30 PM, Seven News reported
that homicide detectives were atthe Clancy home.
(06:24):
Within 24 hours of this announcement, the authorities
announced that Lindsay would be facing charges regarding the
deaths of Cora and Dawson. According to the District
Attorney, Timothy Crew, Cora andDawson died of strangulation and
Callan was in critical conditionalso after being strangled.
(06:45):
The person who did this to them was their own mother, Lindsey
Clancy. She strangled each one of her
children before jumping from hersecond story bedroom window.
But the bigger question was why?What was her motive?
As I said earlier, things alwayslook perfect from the outside
looking in. You can make the world see
whatever image you want them to see because of social media.
(07:06):
However, no social media platform ever shows the dark
secret someone is hiding deep inside or the turmoil someone's
mind is going through on social media.
It's all rainbows and butterflies.
Things that the Clancy's, however, were far from rainbows
and butterflies. Lindsay was struggling with her
own mental health and had been for a while.
Right before the incident took place, Lindsay had posted about
(07:29):
having some postpartum symptoms.Let's look back at Lindsay's
actions in the six months leading up to her taking the
lives of her children. According to The New Yorker, on
August 1st of 2022, Lindsay posted to a Facebook group for
followers of the Miracle MorningSelf Help regimen, which
involves waking up early each day for meditation and exercise.
(07:53):
Lindsay posted quote, had my third baby two months ago and
tried to stick with my MMM afterhe was born.
In the previous couple of weeks,she'd fallen off track, but she
went on and said, quote, even though I was up at 12:30 one
thirty and three with the baby, I'm still going to try starting
my day at 5:00 so I can get a good MMM in before everyone's
(08:14):
up. Wish me luck.
End Quote In November of 2022, Lindsay had posted to another
Facebook group called I Am Not Alone postpartum Depression
slash anxiety and rage. She disclosed that she was
experiencing depression, insomnia, and decreased appetite
while taking the antidepressant Zoloft.
(08:36):
She did better with a benzo called Ativan, but she was
worried that she might become addicted to it.
In December, Lindsay wrote in her journal and confided in her
husband about suicidal thoughts she had been having, along with
thinking of harming the children.
At least one time just before Christmas, she was evaluated at
the Women in Infants Hospital Center for Women's Behavioral
(08:57):
Health in Providence, RI, where she was not diagnosed as having
postpartum depression, but at some point she did receive a
diagnosis of generalized anxietydisorder.
On New Year's Day, she voluntarily checked into the
McLean Psychiatric Hospital in Belmont, MA.
She was discharged on January 5th, again seemingly without a
(09:19):
postpartum related diagnosis. According to reports, Lindsay
was prescribed at least 12 different medications between
October and January because of her history with mental health
problems. Her attorney listed over
medication, postpartum depression, and the quote UN
quote possibility of postpartum psychosis as potential
(09:42):
mitigating factors. In her defense, there are a lot
of people who believe that Lindsay was suffering from a
postpartum issue, mostly post postpartum psychosis.
But with everyone that is defending Lindsay, there are
just as many who think she's a cold blooded killer who didn't
want to be a mother anymore so she got rid of the problem.
The reason that Patrick had redone the basement and made a
(10:04):
Home Office for himself was so that he could work from home and
help Lindsay out with the kids while she was on leave from work
and while she attended the postpartum depression clinic
five days a week, he said. In the past few weeks, she had
seemed to be getting better. That past July, when Callan was
only a couple of months old, Lindsay had made social media
posts referencing her mental health, indicating that she was
(10:27):
dialed in and that changing her exercise and nutrition routines
had made all the difference. It seemed that Patrick and
Lindsay were doing everything right in order to address her
mental health issues. Lindsay was seeking out help,
and Patrick was by her side, supporting her any way that he
could. Whether it was postpartum
psychosis or not, it's evident that Lindsay was going through
(10:49):
some things when it came to her mental health, and she was
trying everything in her power to treat it.
One doctor may diagnose it as postpartum depression, another
as postpartum anxiety, and another may even call it
postpartum psychosis. The fact of the matter is, no
one but Lindsay really knows what was going through her mind
(11:10):
when she killed her children on January 25th.
Within 24 hours of the incident at the Clancy home, the State's
attorney decided that they were going to charge Lindsay with two
counts of homicide, 3 counts of strangulation or suffocation,
assault, and three counts of assault and battery with a
deadly weapon. The deadly weapon being the
(11:33):
exercise bans. On Thursday, January 26th,
Callen turned 8 months old. That same day he died from his
injuries. The medical examiner did
autopsies on all three of the Clancy children.
They determined that the cause of death for Cora and Dawson was
as as asphyxiation and the causeof death for Callen was
(11:55):
complications caused by asphyxiation.
Patrick had lost all of his children and his wife, though in
different ways. She was in police custody, in
the hospital, and was not allowed to have any visitors or
phone calls. He had no clue how he would
survive any of this. His children were as everything
and he loved his wife. And now everything that he lived
(12:17):
for was gone. He was broken, and he felt like
he would never be able to smile,laugh, or be happy again.
Patrick wanted everyone to know how wonderful his kids were and
how much he loved Lindsay, and he asked people to forgive her.
He knew Lindsay and the person who did this was not the same
person that he had fallen in love with.
(12:38):
She had been struggling, and he wanted everyone to show her
forgiveness. I'm going to read the statement
Patrick made. Thank you all for your love and
support. The warmth I've received from
the community is palpable, and your generosity gives me hope
that I can focus on some sort ofhealing.
I've seen all of your messages, including some from people I
haven't seen in over a decade, and many I've never met.
(13:01):
I see and appreciate every one of you.
A lot of people have said they can't imagine in the right.
There's absolutely nothing that can prepare you.
The shock and pain is excruciating and relentless.
I am constantly reminded of themand with the little sleep I get,
I dream about them on repeat. Any parent knows it's impossible
(13:21):
to understand how much you will love your kids until you have
them. The same goes for understanding
the devastation of losing them. Cora, Dawson and Callan were the
essence of my life and I'm completely lost without them.
My family was the best thing that ever happened to me.
I took so much pride in being Lindsay's husband and a dad to
(13:43):
Cora, Dawson and Callan. I always remind myself that each
day with them was a new gift. Callan usually woke up first and
would rest his head on my shoulder for a few minutes as he
adjusted to morning. Dawson typically sang or spoke
his thoughts out loud for a while before we'd go get him.
Cora was a big girl and would simply walk downstairs.
(14:05):
I can still vividly picture her coming into the living room each
morning with her hair in a mess,a smile on her face.
We always started our days together reading books, cuddling
up on the couch, and playing with magnet tiles.
I love taking them places, whether it was scooting at
Chandler Elementary, vacation skiing out on the boat, or to
(14:27):
Duxbury Beach, one of our favorite places on earth.
They gave me purpose and I nevertook it for granted.
There is now a massive void where that purpose once was.
Cora had an infectious laugh andwas stunningly beautiful.
She was the cautious one, but itwas really because she was so
caring. She used to say she wanted to be
(14:48):
a doctor and a Mama when she grew up and she would practice
by giving Callen check UPS. If she was leaving the house to
go somewhere, she would pick someone to take care of.
Caroline and Charlotte, her babydolls.
She had all the doll accessoriesavailable so her setters were
well equipped. Before she turned 2 she was
already wrapping them in perfectswaddles.
(15:09):
We would tell her she's such a quote UN quote good little Mama.
She loved all babies, both real and pretend.
She loved sloths, unicorns, tea parties, going to lunch with
Nana and grandpa, giving presents to people.
She knew everything about princesses, her favorite being
Sofia the First. She truly loved her brothers and
(15:29):
us and said it often in her sweet voice.
We did a lot of father daughter activities together like skiing
and visiting San Francisco or just talking.
I loved her, my first born so much.
Dawson had beautiful, bold browneyes that beamed with
friendship. He was naturally humorous and
generous, beyond the norm of a typical toddler, always willing
(15:52):
to share his toys with others. For all the love he received, he
always gave back more. His best quality was his pure
kindness. He loved trucks, tractors,
dinosaurs, Paw Patrol worker guys and being outside.
He was adventurous and mischievous and enjoyed causing
(16:14):
trouble, which he typically found hilarious.
He was also remarkably smart. We also said if we didn't save
enough for retirement, it would be OK.
We just live in Dawson's guest house.
He would hug me tighter than most adults and every night he
told me in consistent words at bedtime without fail.
Good night Dada, I love you. We had a special bond from day
(16:37):
one. He was my buddy, my first boy
and a true gift. Callen was our easy going child.
I always said it was because he was the third child he had to
adapt and he did easily. He was born with hardly any fuss
and was by far our best sleeper.He was just an incredibly happy
and vibrant baby, constantly smiling.
(17:02):
Our nickname for him was Happy Callan.
He was setting on his own and you could tell he was enjoying
his growing independence as he would grab any object within
reach. Sometimes he joined my Microsoft
calls in the background. Plain and his jumpy.
I would keep my camera on, too proud to leave it off.
He started saying Dada whenever I walked in the room.
(17:22):
The last moment we had together was our routine.
I would come up from my office at the end of the day and swing
him between my legs while he laughed and smiled.
If I was ever having a bad day, Callan always knew how to heal
me. Perhaps that's why he held on a
little longer despair me whatever pain he could.
(17:43):
As excruciating as excruciating as it was, I was fortunate and
grateful to feel his warmth until his very last moment.
Faith is my only hope of believing he felt mine.
Kalin died with enormous courage, despite being so
little. Maybe it was his way of
demonstrating what I need to do to press forward.
(18:04):
I'll always try to draw inspiration from him.
He'll always be my little hero. I want to share some thoughts
about Lindsay. She's recently been portrayed
largely by people who have nevermet her and never knew who the
real Lindsay was. Our marriage was wonderful and
diametrically grew stronger as her condition rapidly worsened.
(18:25):
I took as much pride in being her husband as I did in being a
father and felt persistently lucky to have her in my life.
I still remember the very momentI first laid eyes on her and can
recall how overcome I was with the kind of love at first sight
you only see in movies. It really didn't take long
before I was certain I wanted tomarry her.
We said I love you to each othermultiple times daily, as if it
(18:47):
were a reflex. We habitually started every
morning with a passionate hug, yielding a sigh of relief like
we had each other received the perfect medicine.
If too much time passed without a hug, she'd look at me and ask,
did you forget? We mutually, mutually understood
the reality that people can havebad days, but we stuck to the
(19:07):
rule that when one of us got lost, the other was always there
to bring them home. Always.
She loved being a nurse, but nothing matched her intense love
for our kids and dedication to being a mother.
It was all she ever wanted. Her passion taught me how to be
a better father. I want to ask all of you that
you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay as
(19:28):
I have. The real Lindsay was generously
loving and caring towards everyone.
Me, our kids, family, friends and our her patience.
The very fibers of her soul are loving.
All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace.
I promise I'll put all my energyinto healing and rediscovering
my purpose. I owe.
(19:50):
I owe that to all of you, Duxbury Fire and Police, our
compassionate health care workers, our local faith
leaders, the Microsoft community, and especially Cora,
Dawson and Cowan. I don't know how or when I'll be
able to do it, but your love andgenerosity will help me get
started. I know that love always wins.
Coroner Dawson and Kalin, you gave me so much in your short
(20:11):
time here. I don't know if the pain will
ever go away, but I'll do my best to carry on in your honor.
Dada loves you so much and will always remember you with love
and endless gratitude. I love how he described each one
of his kids so that the world would look at them as
individuals, as people, and not just victims.
They were kids, but each had their own likes, dislikes, and
(20:33):
little personalities. I can't imagine what their final
moments were like knowing that the person who was supposed to
protect them from all of the evil in the world was the person
that was hurting them. And she had to have done it to
the kids one at a time. And strangulation takes time to
do. Not seconds, but minutes.
So to think that the other kids watched as their mommy hurt
(20:53):
their sister or brother is beyond heartbreaking and takes
me back to the Watts case when little Bella had to watch her
dad's mother CC. I can't comprehend as a parent
how someone could put their children through that let alone
how a parent could do that to their child at all.
If you don't want that life any more than walk away but don't
hurt or kill your kids. Like I said in the beginning,
(21:14):
I'm still on the fence about Lindsay because it looks like
she tried to get help for her mental illness and instead she
might have ended up over medicated, which we will talk
about. But then there is also evidence
that she might have planned the murders, which we will also talk
about. That will have to wait until
next week. For photos from this episode,
jump on over to Facebook or Instagram at The Victim's Voice.
(21:36):
And if you would like to supportthis episode, click on the link
at the bottom of the show notes and come back next week for the
conclusion to Lindsay Clancy's case.
Until then, peace out.
Hello everyone, welcome back to The Victim's Voice.
I am your host, Laura B. Today's episode is one that the
true crime community is very divided on, debating whether
this was premeditated murder or if it was due to a postpartum
psychotic break. To be honest, I still go back
and forth on it myself. So today I'm going to give you
(00:20):
all the facts that we know of todate and see what conclusion you
make. This is the story of Lindsey
Clancy. Lindsey Clancy graduated from
Lyman Hall High School in Connecticut in 2008 and went on
to get a biology degree from Quinnipiac University in 2012.
(00:40):
She then went on and earned a bachelor's degree in nursing
from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health
Professions. After graduating, she got a job
as a labor and delivery nurse atMass General Hospital.
She had been focused on her schooling and trying to start a
career, so she had really never had time to date.
But then she met a man named Patrick.
(01:01):
His sister had set them up and it was love at first sight.
After dating for a few months, Patrick took Lindsay back to
where they had their first date and proposed.
She married Patrick Clancy less than a year later in 2016.
They couldn't wait to start the rest of their lives together.
They talked about how many kids they wanted and their dream
house with the white picket fence.
(01:23):
They were young and love with good careers and their life
seemed perfect from the outside looking in.
The couple bought a three bedroom, 2 bathroom house and
Duxbury, MA that also had a big backyard where they would
eventually watch their children play.
Lindsay loved kids and couldn't wait to be a mother, so they
(01:44):
started trying to have a baby immediately.
By January of 2023, the Clancy'sdream had come true and their
family had grown into a family of five.
Lindsay and Patrick Clancy and their three kids, Cora, age 5,
Dawson, age 3, and Callan, age seven months, seem to be the
(02:05):
picture perfect family. Lindsay's Facebook page showed
photos of the five of them doingfun things together such as
going on vacations to the beach or playing outside with the kids
in their big backyard. It seemed Patrick and Lindsay
were living their best lives. To Lindsay her family meant
everything and that was obvious from her social media post where
(02:26):
she said things such as I feel like the luckiest Mama in the
world and how did I get so lucky.
But as we all know people only show the good parts of their
lives on social media and looks can be deceiving.
None of us really know what goeson behind closed doors as we
will soon find out. Tuesday January 24th of 2023 at
(02:48):
611 PMA 911 Dispatcher got a call from Patrick Clancy.
He had just gone out to grab takeout for him and Lindsay and
went by CVS to pick up medicine for one of the kids.
When he walked into the house, however, the silence was
deafening. Usually when he walked through
the door, the two older kids would come running to him, happy
(03:08):
to see their daddy, but there was none of that.
Just silence. Lindsay and the kids had been
there when he left, and they weren't planning to go anywhere
that he knew of. And besides that, Lindsay's car
was in the driveway and it was her idea for him to go pick up
dinner, so they should have beenthere waiting for him to get
back. Patrick pulled out his cell
phone to give her a call, but hegot no answer.
(03:30):
He went upstairs to his and Lindsay's bedroom, but the door
was locked. Eventually he was able to get in
the door and was shocked by whathe saw inside.
There was blood all over the floor in front of their full
length mirror and their bedroom window was wide open.
Patrick walked over to the window and looked out and
they're lying on the ground below was Lindsay.
(03:53):
Patrick immediately called 911 and ran outside to try to help
his wife. Thankfully she was conscious,
but she had slit her wrist and her neck.
Patrick cried and yelled over and over.
What have you done? She finally told him that she
had wanted to take her own life,so she had jumped out the
window. After the initial shock of
finding Lindsay wore off, Patrick realized that he still
(04:15):
didn't know where the kids were.He questioned Lindsay and all
she said was that they were in the basement.
Patrick thought that this was odd since the basement had been
turned into his office so that he could work from home.
It wasn't an area that the kids usually went into, as there was
no toys or anything down there for them, so why would the kids
be down there by themselves? Assuming the kids were safe and
(04:40):
not in any danger in the basement, Patrick stayed by
Lindsay's side until the EMS workers arrived.
He then told them that he was going to go check on the kids,
staying on the phone with the dispatcher as he went down the
basement stairs. In the 911 call you can hear
Patrick yell guys as he made hisway down the basement stairs.
(05:00):
As he reached the bottom the quietness on his end of the
phone turned into an earth shattering scream, then another
scream even louder than the one before.
The 911 dispatcher told units torespond to the basement and they
could be heard asking for additional ambulances.
They are then heard saying that they have 4 victims and that
(05:21):
they need help with chest compressions.
All three of the Clancy kids were in the basement
unresponsive, All three with theexercise bands still around
their necks that have been used to strangle them.
To the left of the basement, at the bottom of the stairs was
Patrick's office area. That's where five year old Cora
(05:42):
and seven month old Callan were found.
On the other side of the basement, little 3 year old
Dawson laid there by himself. The two older kids were rushed
to the hospital by emergency personnel while little Kalin was
airlifted to a hospital. Cora and Dawson were pronounced
dead on arrival. But little Kalin, he was a
(06:02):
fighter. They were able to find a pulse
and he was put on life support. Lindsay was also taken to the
hospital where she was said to be in critical condition.
The media was on top of things and was reporting details to the
public as they came in. At 9:30 PM, Seven News reported
that homicide detectives were atthe Clancy home.
(06:24):
Within 24 hours of this announcement, the authorities
announced that Lindsay would be facing charges regarding the
deaths of Cora and Dawson. According to the District
Attorney, Timothy Crew, Cora andDawson died of strangulation and
Callan was in critical conditionalso after being strangled.
(06:45):
The person who did this to them was their own mother, Lindsey
Clancy. She strangled each one of her
children before jumping from hersecond story bedroom window.
But the bigger question was why?What was her motive?
As I said earlier, things alwayslook perfect from the outside
looking in. You can make the world see
whatever image you want them to see because of social media.
(07:06):
However, no social media platform ever shows the dark
secret someone is hiding deep inside or the turmoil someone's
mind is going through on social media.
It's all rainbows and butterflies.
Things that the Clancy's, however, were far from rainbows
and butterflies. Lindsay was struggling with her
own mental health and had been for a while.
Right before the incident took place, Lindsay had posted about
(07:29):
having some postpartum symptoms.Let's look back at Lindsay's
actions in the six months leading up to her taking the
lives of her children. According to The New Yorker, on
August 1st of 2022, Lindsay posted to a Facebook group for
followers of the Miracle MorningSelf Help regimen, which
involves waking up early each day for meditation and exercise.
(07:53):
Lindsay posted quote, had my third baby two months ago and
tried to stick with my MMM afterhe was born.
In the previous couple of weeks,she'd fallen off track, but she
went on and said, quote, even though I was up at 12:30 one
thirty and three with the baby, I'm still going to try starting
my day at 5:00 so I can get a good MMM in before everyone's
(08:14):
up. Wish me luck.
End Quote In November of 2022, Lindsay had posted to another
Facebook group called I Am Not Alone postpartum Depression
slash anxiety and rage. She disclosed that she was
experiencing depression, insomnia, and decreased appetite
while taking the antidepressant Zoloft.
(08:36):
She did better with a benzo called Ativan, but she was
worried that she might become addicted to it.
In December, Lindsay wrote in her journal and confided in her
husband about suicidal thoughts she had been having, along with
thinking of harming the children.
At least one time just before Christmas, she was evaluated at
the Women in Infants Hospital Center for Women's Behavioral
(08:57):
Health in Providence, RI, where she was not diagnosed as having
postpartum depression, but at some point she did receive a
diagnosis of generalized anxietydisorder.
On New Year's Day, she voluntarily checked into the
McLean Psychiatric Hospital in Belmont, MA.
She was discharged on January 5th, again seemingly without a
(09:19):
postpartum related diagnosis. According to reports, Lindsay
was prescribed at least 12 different medications between
October and January because of her history with mental health
problems. Her attorney listed over
medication, postpartum depression, and the quote UN
quote possibility of postpartum psychosis as potential
(09:42):
mitigating factors. In her defense, there are a lot
of people who believe that Lindsay was suffering from a
postpartum issue, mostly post postpartum psychosis.
But with everyone that is defending Lindsay, there are
just as many who think she's a cold blooded killer who didn't
want to be a mother anymore so she got rid of the problem.
The reason that Patrick had redone the basement and made a
(10:04):
Home Office for himself was so that he could work from home and
help Lindsay out with the kids while she was on leave from work
and while she attended the postpartum depression clinic
five days a week, he said. In the past few weeks, she had
seemed to be getting better. That past July, when Callan was
only a couple of months old, Lindsay had made social media
posts referencing her mental health, indicating that she was
(10:27):
dialed in and that changing her exercise and nutrition routines
had made all the difference. It seemed that Patrick and
Lindsay were doing everything right in order to address her
mental health issues. Lindsay was seeking out help,
and Patrick was by her side, supporting her any way that he
could. Whether it was postpartum
psychosis or not, it's evident that Lindsay was going through
(10:49):
some things when it came to her mental health, and she was
trying everything in her power to treat it.
One doctor may diagnose it as postpartum depression, another
as postpartum anxiety, and another may even call it
postpartum psychosis. The fact of the matter is, no
one but Lindsay really knows what was going through her mind
(11:10):
when she killed her children on January 25th.
Within 24 hours of the incident at the Clancy home, the State's
attorney decided that they were going to charge Lindsay with two
counts of homicide, 3 counts of strangulation or suffocation,
assault, and three counts of assault and battery with a
deadly weapon. The deadly weapon being the
(11:33):
exercise bans. On Thursday, January 26th,
Callen turned 8 months old. That same day he died from his
injuries. The medical examiner did
autopsies on all three of the Clancy children.
They determined that the cause of death for Cora and Dawson was
as as asphyxiation and the causeof death for Callen was
(11:55):
complications caused by asphyxiation.
Patrick had lost all of his children and his wife, though in
different ways. She was in police custody, in
the hospital, and was not allowed to have any visitors or
phone calls. He had no clue how he would
survive any of this. His children were as everything
and he loved his wife. And now everything that he lived
(12:17):
for was gone. He was broken, and he felt like
he would never be able to smile,laugh, or be happy again.
Patrick wanted everyone to know how wonderful his kids were and
how much he loved Lindsay, and he asked people to forgive her.
He knew Lindsay and the person who did this was not the same
person that he had fallen in love with.
(12:38):
She had been struggling, and he wanted everyone to show her
forgiveness. I'm going to read the statement
Patrick made. Thank you all for your love and
support. The warmth I've received from
the community is palpable, and your generosity gives me hope
that I can focus on some sort ofhealing.
I've seen all of your messages, including some from people I
haven't seen in over a decade, and many I've never met.
(13:01):
I see and appreciate every one of you.
A lot of people have said they can't imagine in the right.
There's absolutely nothing that can prepare you.
The shock and pain is excruciating and relentless.
I am constantly reminded of themand with the little sleep I get,
I dream about them on repeat. Any parent knows it's impossible
(13:21):
to understand how much you will love your kids until you have
them. The same goes for understanding
the devastation of losing them. Cora, Dawson and Callan were the
essence of my life and I'm completely lost without them.
My family was the best thing that ever happened to me.
I took so much pride in being Lindsay's husband and a dad to
(13:43):
Cora, Dawson and Callan. I always remind myself that each
day with them was a new gift. Callan usually woke up first and
would rest his head on my shoulder for a few minutes as he
adjusted to morning. Dawson typically sang or spoke
his thoughts out loud for a while before we'd go get him.
Cora was a big girl and would simply walk downstairs.
(14:05):
I can still vividly picture her coming into the living room each
morning with her hair in a mess,a smile on her face.
We always started our days together reading books, cuddling
up on the couch, and playing with magnet tiles.
I love taking them places, whether it was scooting at
Chandler Elementary, vacation skiing out on the boat, or to
(14:27):
Duxbury Beach, one of our favorite places on earth.
They gave me purpose and I nevertook it for granted.
There is now a massive void where that purpose once was.
Cora had an infectious laugh andwas stunningly beautiful.
She was the cautious one, but itwas really because she was so
caring. She used to say she wanted to be
(14:48):
a doctor and a Mama when she grew up and she would practice
by giving Callen check UPS. If she was leaving the house to
go somewhere, she would pick someone to take care of.
Caroline and Charlotte, her babydolls.
She had all the doll accessoriesavailable so her setters were
well equipped. Before she turned 2 she was
already wrapping them in perfectswaddles.
(15:09):
We would tell her she's such a quote UN quote good little Mama.
She loved all babies, both real and pretend.
She loved sloths, unicorns, tea parties, going to lunch with
Nana and grandpa, giving presents to people.
She knew everything about princesses, her favorite being
Sofia the First. She truly loved her brothers and
(15:29):
us and said it often in her sweet voice.
We did a lot of father daughter activities together like skiing
and visiting San Francisco or just talking.
I loved her, my first born so much.
Dawson had beautiful, bold browneyes that beamed with
friendship. He was naturally humorous and
generous, beyond the norm of a typical toddler, always willing
(15:52):
to share his toys with others. For all the love he received, he
always gave back more. His best quality was his pure
kindness. He loved trucks, tractors,
dinosaurs, Paw Patrol worker guys and being outside.
He was adventurous and mischievous and enjoyed causing
(16:14):
trouble, which he typically found hilarious.
He was also remarkably smart. We also said if we didn't save
enough for retirement, it would be OK.
We just live in Dawson's guest house.
He would hug me tighter than most adults and every night he
told me in consistent words at bedtime without fail.
Good night Dada, I love you. We had a special bond from day
(16:37):
one. He was my buddy, my first boy
and a true gift. Callen was our easy going child.
I always said it was because he was the third child he had to
adapt and he did easily. He was born with hardly any fuss
and was by far our best sleeper.He was just an incredibly happy
and vibrant baby, constantly smiling.
(17:02):
Our nickname for him was Happy Callan.
He was setting on his own and you could tell he was enjoying
his growing independence as he would grab any object within
reach. Sometimes he joined my Microsoft
calls in the background. Plain and his jumpy.
I would keep my camera on, too proud to leave it off.
He started saying Dada whenever I walked in the room.
(17:22):
The last moment we had together was our routine.
I would come up from my office at the end of the day and swing
him between my legs while he laughed and smiled.
If I was ever having a bad day, Callan always knew how to heal
me. Perhaps that's why he held on a
little longer despair me whatever pain he could.
(17:43):
As excruciating as excruciating as it was, I was fortunate and
grateful to feel his warmth until his very last moment.
Faith is my only hope of believing he felt mine.
Kalin died with enormous courage, despite being so
little. Maybe it was his way of
demonstrating what I need to do to press forward.
(18:04):
I'll always try to draw inspiration from him.
He'll always be my little hero. I want to share some thoughts
about Lindsay. She's recently been portrayed
largely by people who have nevermet her and never knew who the
real Lindsay was. Our marriage was wonderful and
diametrically grew stronger as her condition rapidly worsened.
(18:25):
I took as much pride in being her husband as I did in being a
father and felt persistently lucky to have her in my life.
I still remember the very momentI first laid eyes on her and can
recall how overcome I was with the kind of love at first sight
you only see in movies. It really didn't take long
before I was certain I wanted tomarry her.
We said I love you to each othermultiple times daily, as if it
(18:47):
were a reflex. We habitually started every
morning with a passionate hug, yielding a sigh of relief like
we had each other received the perfect medicine.
If too much time passed without a hug, she'd look at me and ask,
did you forget? We mutually, mutually understood
the reality that people can havebad days, but we stuck to the
(19:07):
rule that when one of us got lost, the other was always there
to bring them home. Always.
She loved being a nurse, but nothing matched her intense love
for our kids and dedication to being a mother.
It was all she ever wanted. Her passion taught me how to be
a better father. I want to ask all of you that
you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay as
(19:28):
I have. The real Lindsay was generously
loving and caring towards everyone.
Me, our kids, family, friends and our her patience.
The very fibers of her soul are loving.
All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace.
I promise I'll put all my energyinto healing and rediscovering
my purpose. I owe.
(19:50):
I owe that to all of you, Duxbury Fire and Police, our
compassionate health care workers, our local faith
leaders, the Microsoft community, and especially Cora,
Dawson and Cowan. I don't know how or when I'll be
able to do it, but your love andgenerosity will help me get
started. I know that love always wins.
Coroner Dawson and Kalin, you gave me so much in your short
(20:11):
time here. I don't know if the pain will
ever go away, but I'll do my best to carry on in your honor.
Dada loves you so much and will always remember you with love
and endless gratitude. I love how he described each one
of his kids so that the world would look at them as
individuals, as people, and not just victims.
They were kids, but each had their own likes, dislikes, and
(20:33):
little personalities. I can't imagine what their final
moments were like knowing that the person who was supposed to
protect them from all of the evil in the world was the person
that was hurting them. And she had to have done it to
the kids one at a time. And strangulation takes time to
do. Not seconds, but minutes.
So to think that the other kids watched as their mommy hurt
(20:53):
their sister or brother is beyond heartbreaking and takes
me back to the Watts case when little Bella had to watch her
dad's mother CC. I can't comprehend as a parent
how someone could put their children through that let alone
how a parent could do that to their child at all.
If you don't want that life any more than walk away but don't
hurt or kill your kids. Like I said in the beginning,
(21:14):
I'm still on the fence about Lindsay because it looks like
she tried to get help for her mental illness and instead she
might have ended up over medicated, which we will talk
about. But then there is also evidence
that she might have planned the murders, which we will also talk
about. That will have to wait until
next week. For photos from this episode,
jump on over to Facebook or Instagram at The Victim's Voice.
(21:36):
And if you would like to supportthis episode, click on the link
at the bottom of the show notes and come back next week for the
conclusion to Lindsay Clancy's case.
Until then, peace out.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.