Medical provider testifies again in Lindsay Clancy murder trial

Testimony continued Tuesday in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother charged with killing her three children in their Duxbury home in 2023. The focus was on Dr. Jennifer Tufts, who had been cross-examined by the defense on Monday about her telehealth treatment of Clancy, medication choices and her reliance on the patient’s self-reported history.

"She was reluctant to take medication," Tufts said, noting her initial diagnosis of adjustment disorder with depressed mood and generalized anxiety disorder.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington questioned whether the exclusive use of telehealth, the lack of records from other providers, and a change in medication contributed to Clancy’s deteriorating mental state. He rejected the suggestion that a medication change "pushed her over the edge."

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague later revisited Tufts’ training, telehealth practices and prescribing decisions. Tufts is also named in civil lawsuits filed by Lindsay and her ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, alleging a failure to properly diagnose and treat her psychiatric condition.

The trial, which began on July 20, includes testimony from medical examiners, nurses and other physicians about Clancy’s injuries and mental health assessments. Jurors have heard details of the children’s deaths, Clancy’s own injuries after she jumped from a second-floor window, and her prior voluntary admission to a psychiatric hospital.

Clancy, who has pleaded not guilty, remains incarcerated at Tewksbury State Hospital while a 12-woman, six-man jury deliberates. The case continues to explore the role of mental-health care in the tragic events.