Jury hears autopsy testimony as Lindsay Clancy cries in court
In Plymouth Superior Court, a medical examiner presented autopsy evidence in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, who has pleaded not guilty to the murders of her three children.
The trial of Lindsay Clancy resumed Thursday in Plymouth Superior Court with the testimony of Massachusetts medical examiner Dr. Kimberley Springer. She described the injuries sustained by the infant son, Callan, and showed autopsy photographs to the jurors, prompting an emotional response from the defendant and several jurors. Judge William Sullivan warned that the images could be distressing and called a brief recess after the testimony.
Clancy, 35, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of her 5-year-old daughter Cora, 3-year-old son Dawson and 8-month-old son Callan, which occurred on Jan. 24, 2023. The defense argues she was overmedicated and suffering from severe postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors contend she acted with intent and later staged a suicide attempt.
Prosecution witnesses included the family’s pediatrician, Dr. Lindsay Rosshirt, who said she observed no signs of postpartum issues during routine visits, and three preschool teachers who described Clancy as a caring mother. A former coworker, labor-and-delivery nurse Andrea Hennigan, recounted Clancy’s reports of insomnia, “brain fog,” and difficulty finding effective medication.
Friends testified that Clancy had expressed feelings of fatigue and “zombie-like” mental state after the birth of her youngest child, but did not discuss suicidal or homicidal thoughts. The defense plans to call additional friends and a former father-in-law, while the prosecution is expected to present testimony from doctors who treated Clancy for mental-health concerns.
If convicted, Clancy faces life imprisonment without parole; a finding of not criminally responsible would result in commitment to a state mental-health facility.