Testimony is expected to continue Tuesday, Aug. 25, as closing arguments approach in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a Duxbury mother accused of killing her three young children in 2023.
Clancy, 36, is accused of killing 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan in January of that year. Prosecutors allege Clancy strangled them with exercise bands in the basement of their home while her husband, Patrick Clancy, was out running errands.
Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, has argued that she was overmedicated and lacked criminal responsibility due to mental illness, including postpartum depression and psychosis. She was left paralyzed from a jump from a second-story window the night the children were killed.
On Monday, Aug. 24, Reddington cross-examined psychiatrist Dr. Avram Mack, a rebuttal witness for the prosecution. He said he met with Clancy Tewksbury Hospital in April 2026 to evaluate her. Mack said she had a major depressive episode within four to five months after giving birth to Callan, but he did not say that she had postpartum depression.
Dr. Kirk Heilbrun, a forensic psychologist, testified as a second rebuttal witness for the prosecution. He said that, after evaluating Clancy alongside Mack, he concluded that she has bipolar II disorder. Heilbrun said Clancy only described hearing a voice to kill her children on Jan. 24, 2023, the day of the killings – which he said was uncommon for these kinds of hallucinations.
He said Clancy was suicidal, not psychotic, and killed the children so they would not suffer in her absence.
Reddington, called for a mistrial after Heilbrun raised issues of Clancy's faith and the idea of "mortal sin." Judge William Sullivan ultimately declined to declare a mistrial.
Closing arguments could take place as early as this week.
The defense has called witnesses including Clancy's former coworker Margaret Hamp, Clancy's sister Allison Ozga, her mother Paula Musgrove, her mother-in-law Sue Clancy, and emergency medicine doctor Michael Vulfovich. Several forensic psychiatrists have also testified.
Prosecutors called Patrick Clancy, a CVS general manager, a Three V restaurant hostess, the family's nanny, friends, teachers, and several police officers, first responders, toxicologists, and medical professionals to the stand. The 911 call Patrick Clancy made in January 2023 when he found his children was also played for the courtroom.
On July 31, jurors viewed the family's former home on 47 Summer St. in Duxbury, as well as the store and restaurant Patrick Clancy visited the evening the children were killed.
Clancy also addressed the judge for the first time on Aug. 4, saying she agreed to stipulate some of the facts in evidence and did not need to see certain witnesses testify.
You can watch the gavel-to-gavel coverage of Day 24 of the Lindsay Clancy trial (Day 20 of testimony) on Court TV, WCVB, and many other channels. You can also follow our coverage from the courtroom here.
The jury is comprised of 18 members – 12 women and six men – including six who are expected to become alternates when deliberations begin. They were seated ahead of a day of rulings by the judge on Friday, July 24.
Peter Blandino of The Patriot Ledger contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Lindsay Clancy murder trial Day 20: Watch live as closing arguments approach