Be sure to read our previous blogs for the Clancy case:
DAY 14 –
On day 14, Monday August 17, 2026, the prosecution rested it’s case against Lindsay.
Paula Musgrove, Lindsay’s mother, testified first for the defense. She described Lindsay as a loving, dedicated mother whose mental health deteriorated significantly beginning around October 2022. She said Lindsay became increasingly anxious, paranoid and withdrawn and didn’t want to be left alone.
One of the most significant pieces of testimony was that Lindsay had told her mother and Patrick that she was having thoughts of harming her children. She also reportedly told her mother that medication was “destroying” her mind.
Lindsay’s sister, Allison Ozga, also testified, describing a dramatic deterioration in her sister’s mental health. She said Lindsay experienced suicidal thoughts on a daily basis during the month before the killings and increasingly depended on family members.
The defense also called Dr. Michael Vulfovich, an emergency physician who treated Lindsay after she jumped from the second-story window. His brief testimony concerned the severe injuries she sustained, including the consequences of the suicide attempt.
DAY 15 –
Susan Clancy, Lindsay’s former mother-in-law testified on day 15. She described Lindsay as a “wonderful mother” who was loving and nurturing, but said her mental health deteriorated badly in the months before the killings.
She testified that Lindsay was “begging for help” and was frightened about taking her medications. Jurors were shown a November 30, 2022 text in which Lindsay wrote:
“I’m not okay and I’m terrified of taking meds tonight.”
Susan said Lindsay had confided in her about problems sleeping and concerns that she was becoming dependent on benzodiazepines.
Dr. Donald Condie testified about Lindsay’s medical records and the numerous psychiatric medications she had been prescribed. He identified symptoms consistent with severe depression and postpartum anxiety and discussed concerns about how her treatment was documented and coordinated.
The defense is arguing that Lindsay’s condition was becoming progressively worse and that medication, sleep deprivation, postpartum illness and an underlying bipolar disorder contributed to her deterioration.
Defense psychologist Paul Zeizel, who has evaluated Lindsay more than 60 times since the killings, testified that Lindsay reported experiencing auditory hallucinations.
According to his testimony, Lindsay said she heard a male voice ordering her to kill her children. She described the voice telling her:
“This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself.”
Dr Zeizel testified that he believed Lindsay experienced psychotic symptoms and that someone experiencing psychosis can still appear organized and functional on the outside.
Forensic pathologist Elizabeth Laposata testified that Lindsay’s injuries from the second-story fall after the killings. Her testimony supported the defense’s position that Lindsay did genuinely attempt suicide, rather than staging the fall.
She discussed the severe spinal injury Lindsay suffered and the mechanics of the fall.
DAY 16 –
Dr. Paul Zeizel, a forensic psychologist who had met with Lindsay roughly 60 times after the killings, continued his testimony. He told jurors that, in his opinion, Lindsay was not criminally responsible when she killed her children because of her severe mental illness and psychosis.
His testimony focused heavily on her deteriorating mental state before January 24, 2023, including suicidal thinking, delusions and increasingly bizarre beliefs.
Prosecutors challenged the idea that Lindsay remained continuously psychotic, pointing to occasions after the killings when she appeared organized, cooperative or emotionally appropriate.
The jury also heard evidence concerning how Lindsay currently talks about her children and her continuing grief over Cora, Dawson and Callan.
A potential defense witness, Emily Thorndike, who had worked at McLean Hospital but was not involved in Lindsay’s treatment, was not permitted to testify. The judge found her proposed testimony had limited relevance, although hospital records could be submitted instead.
Then something unusual happened: after the lunch break, the judge suddenly sent the jury home because of an “unforeseen circumstance.” The court did not publicly disclose what caused the early ending, and the judge specifically discouraged speculation.
DAY 17 –
Sheila Cavanaugh, a hospital chaplain who had spoken with Lindsay after the killings, testified. Sheila described Lindsay talking about hearing a persistent voice before the killings. Sheila testified that Lindsay had said she was glad her children were safe after their deaths.
The jury were sent home after only half an hour of testimony.
DAY 18 –
The final major witness for the defense was Dr. Phillip Resnick, a prominent forensic psychiatrist who testified that Lindsay was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she killed the children.
Dr Resnick said that Lindsay was “frankly psychotic” at the time.
He believed she experienced a command hallucination and a delusion in which she felt she wasn’t fully controlling her own body—essentially describing herself as being controlled like a puppet.
He interpreted the killings as what psychiatrists sometimes call altruistic filicide: Lindsay allegedly believed, within her delusional state, that killing the children was protecting them.
Dr Resnick had previously testified for the defense in the famous Andrea Yates case, another case involving postpartum psychosis.
After Dr Resnick’s testimony, the defense rested their case.
The prosecution immediately began its rebuttal case, calling forensic psychiatrist Dr. Avram Mack.
Dr Mack essentially presented the opposite psychiatric interpretation:
He agreed Lindsay suffered from serious depression/anxiety. He said he found no convincing evidence of psychosis or mania at the time of the killings. He believed she retained awareness and the ability to control her actions.
According to the prosecution’s expert, Lindsay recalled telling the children “go to God” as she strangled them.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
Closing arguments in the case are expected to begin on August 23, followed by jury deliberations.
The most likely outcomes in the case are:
Guilty of first-degree murder
If the jury finds her criminally responsible and guilty, she faces life imprisonment without parole for the murder convictions.
Guilty of second-degree murder
A second-degree murder conviction also carries a life sentence but with eventual parole eligibility.
Not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility
This verdict would mean that the jury concludes that because of Lindsay’s mental disease/psychosis, she was legally not responsible for what she did.
If that happens, she would be committed to a Massachusetts state psychiatric facility, rather than simply walking free. Her status would subsequently be reviewed under the state’s procedures, and release would depend on whether authorities ultimately determine she is no longer a danger.
Hung jury or mistrial
Massachusetts requires a unanimous verdict. If jurors can’t agree, the judge would push them to keep deliberating, If they remain deadlocked, the result is a mistrial, and prosecutors would be free to retry the case before a new jury.
SOURCE LIST
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/17/lindsay-clancy-trial-mother-witness-testimony
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/lindsay-clancy-trial-live-updates-08-17-26-22391034.php
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/lindsay-clancy-trial-watch-live-day-15
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/20/metro/lindsay-clancy-trial-live-updates/
https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/lindsay-clancy-trial-watch-live-day-16/
https://www.ctinsider.com/news/article/lindsay-clancy-trial-live-updates-08-20-26-22395057.php
https://abcnews.com/GMA/News/lindsay-clancy-defense-rest-friday-after-final-witness/story