Psychiatrist Testifies in Lindsay Clancy Murder Trial as Cross-Examination Continues
During the tenth day of the Massachusetts murder trial, defense attorneys cross-examined psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Tufts about her treatment of Lindsay Clancy and the medications prescribed before the killings.
Lindsay Clancy's trial entered its tenth day on Monday as prosecutors called psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Tufts back to the stand for cross-examination by the defense. The case, heard in Plymouth Superior Court, concerns the killings of Clancy's three children in Duxbury on Jan. 24, 2023, for which she faces first-degree murder charges.
Clancy's lawyer, Kevin Reddington, questioned Tufts about the medication regimen she prescribed, including Amitriptyline and Zoloft, and whether side-effects such as suicidal thoughts were disclosed. Tufts said she titrated Amitriptyline to alleviate depression and did not specifically warn about suicidal ideation because the black-box warning applies to children, not adults.
"I thought about how I could best help her, the medicines that she's tried, what her current symptoms were," Tufts said about her decision to add Amitriptyline.
Reddington pressed Tufts on whether the drugs “pushed her over the edge,” to which she replied she did not think so. He also highlighted inconsistencies in the medical records regarding Clancy's sleep, and asked whether she had ever suggested a suicide-hotline call. Tufts expressed surprise that Clancy had called the hotline twice and was turned away.
The defense also challenged Tufts' credentials, noting that her website listed her as an expert in postpartum depression despite limited experience in that area. Tufts responded that she did not consider herself negligent and that the term “expert” depends on definition.
Tufts testified that she had seen Clancy more than a dozen times over five months, observed severe anxiety, insomnia and “crying all day,” but did not see evidence of psychosis. She said Clancy was reluctant to take medication and blamed the drugs for worsening symptoms, describing her condition as “just depressed."
If convicted, Clancy faces life imprisonment without parole; a verdict of not criminally responsible would result in commitment to a state mental-health facility.