PLYMOUTH, Mass. (Court TV) — A Massachusetts woman accused of murdering her three young children and throwing herself out a window has filed a notice with the court that her defense will focus on her “mental condition” when the case heads to trial next year.
In this video screen image, Lindsay Clancy with a surgical mask over her face in a hospital appears during her arraignment on charges regarding her three children’s deaths at Plymouth District Court Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2023, in Plymouth, Mass. (David Ryan/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool)
Lindsay Clancy is facing murder and assault charges for the deaths of Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 7 months, who were found strangled to death by exercise bands in the family’s basement.
Prosecutors have alleged that Clancy planned the murders of her kids, which were committed while her husband was out running an errand. Prosecutors say Clancy even planned out the distance of the drive her husband had to take and said that she had been the one to insist he go out.
Clancy’s defense has maintained that she was in the throes of psychosis at the time of the murders, and filed a notice of lack of criminal responsibility on Dec. 13. The notice says that Clancy will rely upon expert witnesses to prove her mental condition.
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Since her arrest, Clancy has been receiving medical care in a hospital, and her attorney said that she is permanently paralyzed from breaking her spine when she jumped out of the window. At Clancy’s arraignment in Oct. 2023, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague questioned whether her suicide attempt was real, saying, “She lowered herself out of the window and dropped down. I don’t think she took into account the fact that the ground was frozen.”
At a hearing on Dec. 18, Clancy’s trial date was set for Dec. 1, 2025. Her defense had requested a trial date in Sept., but acknowledged that DNA testing and expert reports were still outstanding in the case.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
