PLYMOUTH, Mass. — Jury selection commenced Monday in the high-profile murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the 35-year-old Duxbury mother charged with fatally strangling her three children in January 2023. Clancy, who appeared in court in a wheelchair and remained largely stoic with occasional blank stares and closed eyes, faces three counts of first-degree murder. Her defense plans to argue that severe postpartum psychosis rendered her not criminally responsible for the acts.

Prosecutors allege that Clancy, then 32, intentionally killed her children—Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and 8-month-old Callan—in the basement of the family’s Duxbury home before jumping from a second-story window in an apparent suicide attempt. She survived the fall but was left paralyzed from the waist down.

Both sides agree that Clancy caused the children’s deaths, but the central issue at trial is her mental state. The defense contends she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis, exacerbated by prescribed medications including Zoloft and Valium, leaving her unable to distinguish right from wrong at the time. Her husband, Patrick Clancy, has stood by her and is expected to testify in her defense.

Clancy’s attorneys have sought to present testimony from other women who experienced postpartum psychosis to help the jury understand the condition. A judge recently ruled on several pretrial motions, including aspects of jury selection and expert testimony.

The case has drawn intense public attention, highlighting the often-overlooked realities of postpartum mental health crises. Clancy’s family and supporters emphasize her prior role as a dedicated mother and physical therapist, while prosecutors are expected to argue the killings were premeditated.

As of Monday, several jurors had been seated, with selection continuing in Plymouth Superior Court amid significant media coverage. The full trial is anticipated to delve deeply into medical and psychiatric evidence surrounding postpartum psychosis.

This tragedy has sparked broader conversations about maternal mental health support, access to care, and the legal implications of insanity defenses in cases involving severe postpartum conditions.

Sources:

• NBC News, ABC News, and WBUR