Defense Attorney Asserts Prosecutors Are 'Tone Deaf' in Lindsay Clancy Murder Trial

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Prosecutors involved in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy are presenting themselves as "tone deaf" to the likely sentiments of jurors, according to a criminal defense attorney.

Lindsay Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of her young children — Cora, Dawson, and Callan, all under the age of six — who were found strangled at the family residence in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in 2023. The prosecution concluded its arguments Monday morning, after which Clancy's defense team began presenting its case, contending she was experiencing a severe episode of postpartum psychosis when the tragic events occurred.

Prosecution's Approach Criticized

One notable instance highlighted by attorney Rotunno, a criminal defense expert observing the trial, involved Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham. On Tuesday, Buckingham questioned Susan Clancy, Lindsay’s mother-in-law and a practicing Catholic, asking if she was aware that murder constitutes a "mortal sin."

Susan Clancy did not respond to the question. Judge William Sullivan promptly called a sidebar discussion and ordered the comment to be removed from the official court record.

Rotunno characterized the prosecution's conduct thus far as "uncaring and snarky."

I understand that your job is to prosecute this murder case and you view this as a first-degree murder, but in sort of ignoring the true emotion that this type of a case invokes, and by ignoring it, you are really tone deaf as to the way the jurors feel.

Rotunno also emphasized the testimony of Lindsay Clancy's grandparents, particularly her mother-in-law, Susan Clancy, as a potentially impactful moment for the jury. She observed that Susan Clancy appeared to express profound sympathy for Lindsay Clancy's struggles. Rotunno argued that if the individual with the most profound reason to grieve the children's deaths stands in support of Lindsay Clancy, jurors might find it challenging to perceive her as a cold-hearted killer.

Defense Focuses on Mental State and Denied Help

Kevin Reddington, Lindsay Clancy's defense attorney, questioned Dr. Paul Zeizel, a clinical forensic psychologist, regarding the multiple occasions the mother sought professional help and was reportedly turned away.

Dr. Zeizel testified on Wednesday, explaining Clancy's state of mind: "She felt that her brain was damaged. She felt that she should kill herself. And she's never going to get any better." This, he elaborated, was why she desperately sought assistance.

However, when Lindsay Clancy contacted a suicide hotline in December 2022, she was reportedly denied help, according to Zeizel's testimony.

She called the suicide hotline, Zeizel said.

Did she receive any help from the suicide hotline? Reddington asked.

She did not, Zeizel said, explaining that they told us she did not meet the standard of care because she did not have a plan.

She made a subsequent call to the suicide hotline, and again, according to Zeizel, received no assistance.

When questioned by Reddington, Dr. Zeizel also affirmed that Lindsay Clancy constantly thinks about her children and "misses them."

And when you speak with her and meet with her doctor, has she ever mentioned her children? Because apparently, according to the questioning that you underwent, she never talks about her kids, Reddington asked.

She does speak about her children, Zeizel said. She really loves them and misses them and thinks of them every single day. Almost every moment of the day.

Witness Exclusion and Community Support

Also on Wednesday, Judge William Sullivan denied a defense motion to include Emily Thorndike, a former clinical social worker from McLean Hospital, on the witness list. The defense asserted that Thorndike's direct experience in the same short-term unit where Clancy received treatment could serve to counter what they described as a misleading portrayal of the facility. They argued the hospital was depicted as a "five-star" institution offering unlimited treatment options that Clancy supposedly chose to decline.

Reddington had previously stated, "Her involvement in this case came about after one of the prosecutors — I don't recall which — made it out on direct examination that McLean is some kind of a five-star institution where the doctors, the psychiatrists, the psychotherapists, and the counselors were all banging into each other in the hallway trying to interview Miss Clancy, who was just blithely refusing care and treatment, which is not the case."

While Judge Sullivan did not permit Thorndike to testify before the jurors, he did grant Reddington's request to introduce certain records pertaining to McLean Hospital's staffing during Lindsay Clancy's stay and the programs it offers.

The defense is scheduled to resume its arguments on Thursday. Concurrently, a group of supporters plans to gather outside the Plymouth County Superior Court, wearing pink in solidarity with Lindsay Clancy. Social media posts have encouraged individuals unable to attend in person to organize similar gatherings in their respective cities on Thursday morning.

When asked about these solidarity events, the defense confirmed that Lindsay Clancy is aware of the public support she is receiving.