Jury hears testimony from mental-health counselor and police in Lindsay Clancy murder trial

The jury in Plymouth Superior Court heard testimony from a mental-health counselor and police officers on the 12th day of the trial of Lindsay Clancy, who faces a first-degree murder charge for the deaths of her three children in January 2023. Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham argued that Clancy planned the killings and staged a suicide attempt. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington contended that Clancy admitted to the killings but should not be held criminally responsible because she was overmedicated and suffering from postpartum psychosis.

Mental-health counselor Latiesha Dukes, who worked at South Shore Hospital and saw Clancy four times between late November and early December 2022, testified for about two hours. She described Clancy’s presenting concerns as anxiety, insomnia, suicidal thoughts and a desire to die, and said she diagnosed her with postpartum anxiety rather than psychosis. Dukes said she recommended outpatient therapy, continued medication and weekly counseling, and later suggested partial hospitalization after Clancy reported intrusive thoughts on Dec. 5, 2022. She noted that by Dec. 19, Clancy appeared more engaged, smiling and laughing, and showed no signs of mania, delusions, paranoia or psychosis.

During cross-examination, Reddington highlighted Clancy’s reluctance to take medication due to fear of addiction and questioned Dukes about an outpatient postpartum program that allegedly turned Clancy away because she was overmedicated. Dukes expressed surprise at that claim.

Police testimony included Massachusetts State Police Sgt. Dan Lawlor, who described his actions on the night of the children’s deaths, including monitoring Clancy at several hospitals and noting that she was unable to speak after jumping from a second-floor window. Lawlor was also questioned about conversations with investigators regarding a theory that a psychologist’s suggestion led Clancy to tell her husband she was hearing voices. He confirmed that such speculation existed but was not based on investigative evidence.

The trial also featured testimony from psychiatric nurse practitioner Rebecca Jollotta, who met with Clancy three times in late 2022 and specializes in postpartum patients. Judge William Sullivan noted that the proceedings are proceeding on schedule.

If convicted, Clancy faces life imprisonment without parole; a verdict of not criminally responsible would result in commitment to a state psychiatric hospital.