Be sure to check out our previous blog for this case before getting into trial updates.
This blog outlines days 1-14 of the Lindsay Clancy trial. There will be a new blog created for ongoing dates.
Following jury selection, the murder trial for Lindsay Clancy commenced on Monday July 27, 2026.
DAY ONE :
Opening statements were delivered on day one. The jury were told that some of the evidence would be difficult to hear.
Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham said Lindsay “deliberately and meticulously” killed her children. The DA acknowledged that Lindsay had been suffering from mental health issues, but argued that she was ‘not in the throes of psychosis’ at the time of the killings.
Lindsay’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington said that Lindsay was ‘suffering from psychosis’ at the time of the killings. “This is a young woman who, with her husband, tried very hard to get the help she needed,” the defense attorney said.
Patrick Clancy, Lindsay’s now ex-husband, took the stand on day one.
Patrick testified that Lindsay had struggled after the birth of the third child, Callan. He testified that Lindsay told him she was having suicidal thoughts and also intrusive thoughts about harming the children.
Patrick told the court that between September 2022 and January 2023, Lindsay had been prescribed multiple different medications by at least three medical practitioners. Prosecutors said that it appeared Lindsay had only taken a small fraction of the medication that she had been prescribed. Patrick testified that he was not aware of the amounts of medication that Lindsay had or had not taken.
Patrick said that Lindsay’s ‘big spiral’ started around December 2022. She had started to take a new medication at this time. Patrick said he was not concerned for the safety of the children at that time as she did not show any ‘intention’ of harming them.
Patrick also said that Lindsay spent time in psychiatric hospitals in December 2022 and January 2023 because she was still having suicidal thoughts. He said that when she was discharged, she seemed ‘much better’ and that she was no longer having those thoughts.
In the hours before the killings, Patrick said Lindsay built a snowman and played with the kids. He said ‘She was having one of her best days.”
Patrick told the court that as he left to pick up dinner for the family, he kissed one of his children and said he would ‘be right back.’
DAY TWO:
On day two of the trial, Patrick finished testifying for the prosecution and faced cross-examination from his Lindsay’s attorney.
On this day, Patrick described Lindsay’s struggles with her mental health. He also spoke about finding the children after they had been killed.
The jury also heard the 911 call Patrick made upon discovering the children.
Patrick said that when he returned to the family home after running errands on January 24, 2023, he found his bedroom covered in blood. Lindsay had jumped out of the bedroom window and was lying face-up in their backyard, he said. “She had deep cuts on her wrists, and she had a red line across her neck.” Shortly after, he found his three children in the basement with exercise bands around their necks, he said.
Patrick also said that about a week after the killings, Lindsay called him from hospital and said that she “heard a man’s voice” the day she fatally strangled them. “She said she heard a man’s voice telling her that if she didn’t do it now, she would lose her chance, or something like that.” She had never before mentioned hearing a man’s voice, he said.
Patrick was cross-examined and said that Lindsay had been a “very dedicated” mother who “did everything” for her family. Jurors saw photos of the three children she posted online, as well as rooms inside their home filled with toys and decorated with colorful homemade art and cartoon characters.
Patrick also spoke about the medications that Lindsay had been prescribed in late 2022. He said she always took the pills as instructed and kept track with a journal. Patrick did acknowledge he was not with her every time she took a pill, but he believed she took the medication as instructed based on what she told him.
He said that Lindsay’s mental health worsened in December 2022 after her dose of Seroquel was increased. She visited two medical centers in the following weeks, including a multi-day stay at a locked-ward facility in early January, he said.
There was no trial on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, because the court did not sit that day. The trial followed a schedule set by the judge that week with Wednesday designated as a dark day (no court session) before testimony resumed on Thursday, July 30.
DAY THREE:
The jury was excused for the day after prosecutors called nearly a dozen first responders to the stand as they presented their case.
Paramedics described their attempts to save the Clancy children and they also spoke about Lindsay’s injuries.
Lindsay was said to be semi-conscious and on the ground in the backyard when Duxbury Police Officer Stephen Hall arrived. None of the cuts on her wrists or neck were actively bleeding. The defense implied that the cold weather and snow could have affected her injuries and blood flow.
First responders treated Lindsay Clancy for a potential opioid overdose while she was being transported to the hospital, Pembroke firefighter and paramedic Robert Costanzo said. Lindsay became agitated, but never fully woke up once given the Narcan, he said.
Multiple firefighters testified about performing CPR on Callan and Cora, who were found near each other in the basement. Jennifer Stratton, with the Duxbury Fire Department, said Callan had “deep strangulation marks” and she “scooped him up in my arms” and carried him to the ambulance.
Cora’s skin appeared pale, Duxbury firefighter Patrick Dwyer said, as he gave her CPR in the basement. Dwyer also used a defibrillator to try and regain a heartbeat, he said. Both Stratton and Dwyer said neither child ever started breathing.
First responders also attempted to revive Dawson Clancy using intubation, CPR and medications like epinephrine, but were never able to restart heart activity, Duxbury Fire Department Capt. Keith Nette testified.
Patrick was found to be initially in the yard with Lindsay, who was lying on the ground, Duxbury Police Officer Brian Josephine said.
Josephine later heard screams coming from inside the home and he ran into the basement with another officer, he said. They found Paatrick screaming, “She killed the f**king kids!”
DAY FOUR:
Jurors visited three key locations: the ThreeV restaurant, a CVS and the former Clancy home in Duxbury. The judge told them the view was meant to help them understand the layout and locations involved in the case.
Several Duxbury police officers testified on this day and described the scene they found at the home.
Dr. Benjamin Kaufman, an emergency physician at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, testified about treating Callan. He explained that Callan arrived without meaningful signs of life, that medical staff briefly restored a heartbeat, but that there was no detectable brain activity. Callan was later transferred to Boston Children’s Hospital, where he was ultimately declared brain-dead. Lindsay became emotional and cried during this time.
Day 4 was largely devoted to establishing the physical timeline of the events and presenting medical evidence about the emergency treatment of the children, rather than the psychiatric testimony that is expected to become the central focus later in the trial.
DAY FIVE:
Court resumed on Monday August 3. The day featured testimony from 13 witnesses, primarily doctors, nurses, and law enforcement, and began shifting the focus from the crime scene to Lindsay’s physical and mental condition after the killings.
Excerpts from Lindsay’s journals were read to the court. The entries were written in the months prior to January 2023.
Jurors heard entries in which she described:
Feeling “completely overwhelmed.”
Feeling like “I’m drowning every day.”
Being exhausted by caring for three young children.
Wanting a break from the constant responsibilities of motherhood.
On this day, Dr Michael Snyder testified about trying to save Cora. He said that Cora arrived with no pulse and was not breathing. She had bruising on her neck and petechiae (small hemorrhages) around her eyes, findings consistent with strangulation. Medical staff performed CPR for approximately 30 minutes but were unable to revive her, and she was pronounced dead.
The court also heard about Lindsay’s injuries. She had severe spinal injuries, multiple rib fractures, blood loss, hypothermia and had gone into cardiac arrest. Prosecutors questioned the extent of her suicide attempt and said that the self inflicted cuts were relatively minor.
A forensic psychiatrist testified that when Lindsay was evaluated two days after the killings, he did not observe signs that she was actively psychotic.
On cross-examination, however, he acknowledged that psychosis can present differently in different people and that an absence of obvious symptoms later does not necessarily establish a person’s mental state at the time of the killings. This testimony previewed the central battle expected later in the trial over the insanity defense.
DAY SIX:
Day 6 of the trial was a more technical day focused on forensic evidence rather than emotional witness testimony. Lindsay spoke in court for the first time, briefly answering the judge’s questions as she agreed to a stipulation that allowed certain forensic and DNA evidence to be admitted without requiring numerous witnesses, helping streamline the trial.
Jurors then heard from forensic experts about bloodstains found throughout the Clancy home, including in the bedroom and basement. Some stains were confirmed as human blood, while others could not be verified. Investigators also testified that no usable fingerprints were recovered from the exercise bands prosecutors allege were used in the killings.
Toxicology testimony showed that Lindsay had prescribed benzodiazepines in her system but no illegal drugs, and the three children had no drugs in their systems. Medical experts also discussed the injuries Lindsay sustained after her suicide attempt, an issue that remains central because prosecutors argue her actions were deliberate, while the defense says they were consistent with a severe postpartum psychotic episode.
By the end of Day 6, the core issue for the jury remained unchanged: both sides agree Lindsay killed her children, but they fundamentally disagree about her mental state and whether she was legally criminally responsible at the time.
DAY SEVEN:
Day seven of the trial focused on three main areas: testimony from the family’s former nanny, medical evidence about Clancy’s injuries after the killings, and forensic toxicology.
Former nanny Elaine Rossi testified that Lindsay was a loving, attentive, and organized mother during the months she worked for the family in 2022. She said she never feared for the children’s safety and described Lindsay as meticulous about their routines and care. Elaine said that Lindsay had discussed postpartum depression and difficulties with breastfeeding and medication, but never expressed thoughts of harming the children.
Medical testimony came from a physician assistant who treated Lindsay after her suicide attempt. He testified that most of her wrist cuts were superficial, though one on each wrist required stitches, and that her critical condition was primarily due to the injuries from jumping from the second-story window.
Toxicology evidence showed Lindsay had prescription psychiatric medications in her system, but no alcohol or illicit drugs. Experts testified that the medication levels were generally within therapeutic ranges and not considered toxic.
DNA evidence established that DNA from Lindsay and Patrick Clancy, as well as the children, was found on the exercise bands that prosecutors allege were used in the killings. This evidence was presented to establish the chain of custody and physical evidence rather than to resolve who caused the deaths, which is not disputed.
DAY EIGHT:
The morning began with Dr. Kimberley Springer, a Massachusetts medical examiner, testifying about Callan’s autopsy.
Springer testified that Callan’s death was caused by complications of mechanical asphyxia and that the mechanism was consistent with ligature strangulation.
Autopsy photographs were shown to the jury. They were not shown on the livestream. Lindsay became extremely emotional and was heard sobbing; the judge eventually called an unscheduled break.
The prosecution then presented testimony from several people who knew Lindsay before the killings:
– Amy Bevins, a childhood friend, described seeing Lindsay after the killings while she was in rehabilitation. Bevins said Lindsay didn’t bring up the children or cry about them during their meeting. On cross-examination, however, she acknowledged the meeting was awkward and that Lindsay’s sister had asked her not to bring up the children.
– Christopher Clancy, Patrick’s father and Lindsay’s former father-in-law, testified that he knew Lindsay was struggling. He recalled knowing about her difficulty sleeping, feeling unwell and going to the emergency room. He also said he had offered to have the grandchildren stay with him and his wife.
Other witnesses included friends, a former coworker, teachers from the children’s preschool and Lindsay’s former pediatrician.
A recurring point in the testimony was that people around Lindsay knew she was struggling with anxiety, depression, insomnia and medication problems, but many also described her as a loving, attentive mother.
One friend had previously received a message from Lindsay saying medication had caused her to have “dark thoughts.” Another witness said Lindsay had described feeling like a “zombie.”
At the end of the day, attorneys argued over whether three additional doctors should be permitted to testify. Judge William Sullivan took that issue under advisement.
DAY NINE:
Day 9 was a major shift into psychiatric testimony.
Dr. Alia Goodheart treated Lindsay when she voluntarily entered McLean Hospital on January 1, 2023, just weeks before the killings.
She testified that Lindsay was experiencing anxiety, trouble sleeping and medication side effects.
Most importantly for the prosecution, Dr Goodheart said Lindsay did not show signs of psychosis during her hospitalization.
Her diagnosis at the time was major depressive disorder, severe without psychotic features.
Dr Goodheart said Lindsay denied having a plan to kill herself or harm anyone else.
She considered Lindsay a low-level safety risk and testified that she had no concerns about Lindsay harming someone else when she was discharged on January 5.
Lindsay was discharged with medications including Ativan and trazodone.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked Dr Goodheart how many women with postpartum psychosis she had treated. Her answer was none.
That last point was significant for the defense because it potentially raises questions about how well-equipped the treatment team was to recognize postpartum psychosis.
Dr. Jennifer Tufts began treating Lindsay in September 2022.
Her testimony went through Lindsay’s progression in the months before the killings:
Lindsay initially presented primarily with anxiety.
Dr Tufts recommended therapy and sertraline (Zoloft).
Lindsay was initially reluctant to take medication because of concerns about side effects.
She eventually began taking Zoloft after seeking an extension of her maternity leave.
Dr Tufts testified that Lindsay later appeared depressed and was concerned about potentially developing suicidal thoughts.
Lindsay ultimately stopped Zoloft because she felt poorly while taking it.
Dr Tufts prescribed Ativan for anxiety and later discussed other medication, including Buspar.
The dcotor testified that Lindsay did not report suicidal or homicidal ideation at that point and had never expressed a plan to kill her children.
Dr Tufts was still on the stand when court ended, meaning the defense had not yet completed its cross-examination. She is expected to continue testimony when the trial resumes Monday.
Before the psychiatrists, the prosecution also called:
Kimberlee Hardy, a former director of the Kingsbury Club, who testified that Cora and Dawson spent time there and that Lindsay appeared happy with them and consistently picked them up on time.
Sarah Carney, a family friend, who testified that she saw Lindsay after her McLean treatment and thought she appeared quieter and thinner.
There was also a side issue from Day 8. After the autopsy photographs were displayed, someone was heard saying “shut it off” or ‘shut her up’ on a courtroom microphone. Lindsay’s attorney initially suggested it was a prosecutor. The DA’s office later said its review determined that the person was actually an unknown court employee, referring to turning off the display of the autopsy photographs.
DAY TEN:
The day began with Dr. Jennifer Tufts, the psychiatrist who had treated Lindsay in the months before the deaths of her three children, returning to the witness stand for cross-examination. The defense aggressively questioned the doctor about Lindsay’s treatment, including the fact that many of their appointments were conducted by video.
A major issue was whether Dr Tufts should have recognized that Lindsay was deteriorating psychologically. The defense focused on Linday’s depression, insomnia, emotional withdrawal and complaints about medication side effects.
The doctor acknowledged that Lindsay had described feeling depressed and hopeless and that she had become emotionally withdrawn from her infant. Dr Tufts testified that she did not see signs of psychosis and that Lindsay denied suicidal or homicidal thoughts during their final appointment, which occurred the day before the killings.
The defense also questioned the doctor about why she continued treating Lindsay remotely and whether she should have recognized that something more serious was happening. Dr Tufts maintained that the video appointments did not make her believe she was missing something clinically significant.
DAY ELEVEN:
The main witness on day eleven was Rebecca Jollotta, a psychiatric nurse practitioner who treated Lindsay through South Shore Hospital’s perinatal behavioral health program.
Jollotta said had a telehealth appointment with Lindsay in November 2022. Jollotta said Lindsay appeared anxious and was struggling to get a full night’s sleep, but she did not observe signs of psychosis or mania. She described Lindsay’s thought process as “linear” and “goal-directed.”
The defense highlighted that Lindsay was seeing multiple providers and that medications were being changed repeatedly. They questioned Jollotta about whether she knew everything Lindsay was being prescribed by psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Tufts and whether the providers were adequately communicating with one another.
Day eleven was much more about the medical history leading up to the killings than about the actual events inside the house on January 24, 2023.
DAY TWELVE:
Medical examiner Barbara Olson testified about the children’s deaths. She described injuries consistent with asphyxiation/strangulation and discussed photographs of the children’s injuries. The court allowed the jury to see autopsy photographs that had previously been impounded from public release.
Lindsay BECAME extremely emotional during the autopsy testimony. She cried and at one point reportedly said, “I can’t do this” while testimony and photographs concerning her daughter Cora were being presented. She was seen holding her attorney’s hand and visibly struggling through the testimony.
State Police Sgt. Dan Lawler testified about what he saw after responding to South Shore Hospital and then investigating the Clancy home. Evidence included Lindsay’s blood-stained clothing and prescription medication bottles, including trazodone, diazepam and amitriptyline.
The defense continued probing the “voices” issue. There was a period with the jury excused while attorneys questioned whether psychiatrist Paul Zeisel had told Lindsay to say that she heard voices. This is significant because the defense is arguing that Lindsay was experiencing severe postpartum psychosis and was not mentally responsible for her actions.
Letiesha Dukes, a social worker who treated Lindsay, was also an important part of day twelve. Dukes said she did not believe Lindsay was an immediate danger to herself, despite Lindsay reporting suicidal thoughts and experiencing substantial weight loss. Dukes acknowledged that she hadn’t reviewed notes from another provider, psychiatric nurse Rebecca Jollotta, who had documented more concerning symptoms such as insomnia, racing thoughts and suicidal ideation.
DAY THIRTEEN:
Day 13 opened with investigators examining computer and cellphone evidence. One of the first pieces concerned a “suicide methods” webpage accessed in August 2022. The prosecution could establish that the page had been accessed from a computer associated with Patrick Clancy, but the defense challenged whether Lindsay was actually the person who made the search. The defense also pointed out that the computer activity was connected to searches involving musician Tom Hall, whom Patrick reportedly liked.
Investigators testified about searches involving mental-health subjects, including psychosis, hallucinations and other psychiatric conditions. A January 20, 2023 search reportedly asked, “Can you treat a sociopath?” The defense also questioned the investigator about searches involving suicide and other subjects, but the investigator acknowledged when he couldn’t personally remember particular searches from the examination.
Lindsay’s journal entries were also discussed on this day.
In one journal entry from October 2022, Lindsay wrote “I’m sad and depressed because I am not able to parent my third child like my first. I want to treat every one of my babies like my first. But I know that’s not a feasible possibility. I’m sad that I stopped breastfeeding. I feel not as connected with [Callan, the youngest Clancy child] now. I think I sort of resent my other children because they prevent me from treating Cal like my first baby. And I know that’s not fair to them. I know that. I was feeling so depressed last evening when Cora and Dawson came home from school. I know it runs off on them so we had a pretty rough evening. I want to feel love and connection with all my kids.”
Lindsay also described an “internal conflict” over wanting more children eventually, writing, “My whole life I’ve wanted to have a lot of kids. I still don’t want Cal to be our last but I have a lot of figuring out to do before I have another.”
Callan “was so very planned and desired,” she wrote. “I want to be able to give him all the love he deserves. I guess that’s what it’s like to be the third child though. He’s not the first third child to ever exist. I think I know he’ll be OK, but it’s really hard for me. I hate that he has to put himself to sleep. I’m sad I’m not breastfeeding anymore, but I think deep down, these are the right choices.”
She also wrote about the stress she experienced over pumping enough breast milk and getting enough rest while parenting three children.
“I need to be able to be present with my other kids. I still really, really want a fourth child, but I need a really good therapist before then,” she wrote, adding, “I want to feel happy, but it would be nice to feel authentically happy and not fake.”
Lindsay wrote about about having “some depression” after she gave birth to her first child, Cora, though she noted that activities and “getting up and out” with her daughter helped. Lindsay wrote that she worried about negatively impacting her children, given parents are “inundated” with information about everything that could go wrong.
Source list:
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/27/us/live-news/lindsay-clancy-trial-opening-statements
https://www.wmtw.com/article/lindsay-clancy-trial-journal-read-doctors-testify/73337182
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/29/us/live-news/lindsay-clancy-trial
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/30/us/live-news/lindsay-clancy-trial
https://people.com/lindsay-clancy-s-diary-entries-read-in-court-12033156?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-live-updates-day-5-22371330.php
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/lindsay-clancy-trial-live-updates-08-12-26-22383236.php
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-08-12-26-22383253.php
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/lindsay-clancy-trial-live-updates-08-13-26-22386460.php
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