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Lindsay Clancy, Duxbury mother accused of killing kids, arraigned on murder, strangulation charges

Defense plans to argue she was overmedicated, lacks criminal responsibility

Lindsay Clancy, Duxbury mother accused of killing kids, arraigned on murder, strangulation charges

Defense plans to argue she was overmedicated, lacks criminal responsibility

***PKG*** ***LIVE*** ***ATWATER*** ***GFX FULL*** ***ED*** You can hear the arguments from both sides in today’s court hearing ... and read the timeline in the case
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Lindsay Clancy, Duxbury mother accused of killing kids, arraigned on murder, strangulation charges

Defense plans to argue she was overmedicated, lacks criminal responsibility

Duxbury, Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy is accused of strangling her three young children with exercise bands while their father was out picking up dinner. Clancy was arraigned virtually from her hospital bed, where she remains hospitalized as she is treated for injuries suffered when she jumped from a window of her Duxbury home last month.Lindsay Clancy was charged with two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation or suffocation, and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. In court, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague outlined Lindsay Clancy's day leading up to the evening of Jan. 24, when she is accused of killing her kids. Sprague said Lindsay Clancy took her daughter to the pediatrician, played in the snow with her son and daughter, talked to CVS about stool-softener for children and asked her husband, Patrick Clancy, if he wanted to get takeout for dinner. Sprague said people at the doctor's office, CVS and the restaurant said Lindsay Clancy was coherent, did not appear or sound distressed and her speech was not slurred. After picking up the takeout and going to CVS for the medication, Patrick Clancy returned to a silent home and found his wife bleeding outside. Patrick Clancy called 911 at about 6:10 p.m. "He called 911. During this time, he asked the defendant, 'What did you do?' She responded to him, 'I tried to kill myself and jumped out the window.' During the 911 call, Patrick can be heard asking the defendant, 'Where are the kids?' He later told police that she replied in the basement," Sprague said, describing the audio recorded on the 911 call. In the basement, he discovered Cora, 5, and Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan. "He can then be heard (on the 911 call) screaming in agony, in shock as he found his children. His screams seemed to get louder and more agonized as the time passes," Sprague said. All three had had exercise bands around their necks and died of "ligature strangulation," Sprague said, a process that requires acute applied pressure to the neck and takes several minutes for victims to lose consciousness and die. " ... the bands were squeezing their little necks for several minutes," Sprague said. "She could have changed her mind at any during that time and remove those bands from their necks."Video Below: Prosecution describes murder case against Lindsay ClancyCora and Dawson were pronounced dead at the hospital on Jan. 24. Callan was flown to Boston Children's Hospital with traumatic injuries and placed on life support, but died on Jan. 27.Sprague told the court Lindsay Clancy's acts were deliberate and planned, understands right from wrong and that she mapped and timed the errands she sent her husband on that night to ensure she would have enough time to kill her children. Lindsay Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington, said his client was battling post-partum depression and was overmedicated at the time, and he plans to argue the woman lacks any criminal responsibility."I question whether she would ever make it to a trial. She suicidal. She's extremely emotional. However, she's unable and has been unable to express any happiness or sadness or cry," Reddington said. Reddington has asked the court to allow Lindsay Clancy to be examined by a forensic psychologist for evidence of a post-partum mood disorder. Reddington said Lindsay Clancy told her husband that she heard a man's voice telling her to kill her children. Video Below: Defense describes Lindsay Clancy as suicidal"Her emotional state is so bad that there's a significant fear of suicide. She has to have someone sit in the room 24/7 to watch her, they don't talk to her. They're not, you know, chatting it up. They just sit there and watch out of that concern that she would commit suicide," Reddington said.Reddington said Lindsay Clancy is a paraplegic with spinal transection. The judge did not set monetary bail on Tuesday, but said Lindsay Clancy will remain in her current hospital until she is medically able to transfer to a 24/7 rehabilitation facility. She must continue to undergo mental health treatment. If she completes medical treatment, another hearing will be held to determine bail and establish where and under what conditions she will reside while her case is pending. A probable cause is set for May 2.A funeral was held for the three children on Friday.Patrick Clancy made a statement Jan. 28 through a post on an online fundraiser, his first public statement in the wake of the tragedy."A lot of people have said they can’t imagine and they’re right, there’s absolutely nothing that can prepare you. The shock and pain is excruciating and relentless," Patrick Clancy wrote. "I’m constantly reminded of them and with the little sleep I get, I dream about them on repeat. Any parent knows, it’s impossible to understand how much you will love your kids until you have them. The same goes for understanding the devastation of losing them. Cora, Dawson, and Callan were the essence of my life and I’m completely lost without them.""I want to ask all of you that you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay, as I have. The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone — me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients. The very fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace," he added.In his statement, Patrick Clancy said that he will put all of his energy into healing and rediscovering his purpose, adding that "love always wins.""Cora, Dawson, and Callan, you gave me so much in your short time here. I don’t know if the pain will ever go away, but I’ll do my best to carry on in your honor. Dada loves you so much and will always remember you," Patrick Clancy wrote. Authorities would not comment on whether any mental illness may have played a role in the homicides or if Lindsay Clancy had any mental health history.A spokesperson for Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed to NewsCenter 5 that Lindsay Clancy worked as a nurse at the hospital.If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-8255 to connect with a trained counselor, or visit 988lifeline.org.

Duxbury, Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy is accused of strangling her three young children with exercise bands while their father was out picking up dinner.

Clancy was arraigned virtually from her hospital bed, where she remains hospitalized as she is treated for injuries suffered when she jumped from a window of her Duxbury home last month.

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Lindsay Clancy was charged with two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation or suffocation, and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

In court, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague outlined Lindsay Clancy's day leading up to the evening of Jan. 24, when she is accused of killing her kids. Sprague said Lindsay Clancy took her daughter to the pediatrician, played in the snow with her son and daughter, talked to CVS about stool-softener for children and asked her husband, Patrick Clancy, if he wanted to get takeout for dinner. Sprague said people at the doctor's office, CVS and the restaurant said Lindsay Clancy was coherent, did not appear or sound distressed and her speech was not slurred.

After picking up the takeout and going to CVS for the medication, Patrick Clancy returned to a silent home and found his wife bleeding outside. Patrick Clancy called 911 at about 6:10 p.m.

"He called 911. During this time, he asked the defendant, 'What did you do?' She responded to him, 'I tried to kill myself and jumped out the window.' During the 911 call, Patrick can be heard asking the defendant, 'Where are the kids?' He later told police that she replied in the basement," Sprague said, describing the audio recorded on the 911 call.

In the basement, he discovered Cora, 5, and Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan.

"He can then be heard (on the 911 call) screaming in agony, in shock as he found his children. His screams seemed to get louder and more agonized as the time passes," Sprague said.

All three had had exercise bands around their necks and died of "ligature strangulation," Sprague said, a process that requires acute applied pressure to the neck and takes several minutes for victims to lose consciousness and die.

" ... the bands were squeezing their little necks for several minutes," Sprague said. "She could have changed her mind at any during that time and remove those bands from their necks."

Video Below: Prosecution describes murder case against Lindsay Clancy

Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead at the hospital on Jan. 24. Callan was flown to Boston Children's Hospital with traumatic injuries and placed on life support, but died on Jan. 27.

Sprague told the court Lindsay Clancy's acts were deliberate and planned, understands right from wrong and that she mapped and timed the errands she sent her husband on that night to ensure she would have enough time to kill her children.

Lindsay Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington, said his client was battling post-partum depression and was overmedicated at the time, and he plans to argue the woman lacks any criminal responsibility.

"I question whether she would ever make it to a trial. She suicidal. She's extremely emotional. However, she's unable and has been unable to express any happiness or sadness or cry," Reddington said.

Reddington has asked the court to allow Lindsay Clancy to be examined by a forensic psychologist for evidence of a post-partum mood disorder. Reddington said Lindsay Clancy told her husband that she heard a man's voice telling her to kill her children.

Video Below: Defense describes Lindsay Clancy as suicidal

"Her emotional state is so bad that there's a significant fear of suicide. She has to have someone sit in the room 24/7 to watch her, they don't talk to her. They're not, you know, chatting it up. They just sit there and watch out of that concern that she would commit suicide," Reddington said.

Reddington said Lindsay Clancy is a paraplegic with spinal transection.

The judge did not set monetary bail on Tuesday, but said Lindsay Clancy will remain in her current hospital until she is medically able to transfer to a 24/7 rehabilitation facility. She must continue to undergo mental health treatment. If she completes medical treatment, another hearing will be held to determine bail and establish where and under what conditions she will reside while her case is pending.

A probable cause is set for May 2.

A funeral was held for the three children on Friday.

Patrick Clancy made a statement Jan. 28 through a post on an online fundraiser, his first public statement in the wake of the tragedy.

"A lot of people have said they can’t imagine and they’re right, there’s absolutely nothing that can prepare you. The shock and pain is excruciating and relentless," Patrick Clancy wrote. "I’m constantly reminded of them and with the little sleep I get, I dream about them on repeat. Any parent knows, it’s impossible to understand how much you will love your kids until you have them. The same goes for understanding the devastation of losing them. Cora, Dawson, and Callan were the essence of my life and I’m completely lost without them."

"I want to ask all of you that you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay, as I have. The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone — me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients. The very fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace," he added.

In his statement, Patrick Clancy said that he will put all of his energy into healing and rediscovering his purpose, adding that "love always wins."

"Cora, Dawson, and Callan, you gave me so much in your short time here. I don’t know if the pain will ever go away, but I’ll do my best to carry on in your honor. Dada loves you so much and will always remember you," Patrick Clancy wrote.

Authorities would not comment on whether any mental illness may have played a role in the homicides or if Lindsay Clancy had any mental health history.

A spokesperson for Massachusetts General Hospital confirmed to NewsCenter 5 that Lindsay Clancy worked as a nurse at the hospital.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or 800-273-8255 to connect with a trained counselor, or visit 988lifeline.org.