Prosecution states Lindsay Clancy strangled children with exercise bands, lawyer argues she isn’t criminally responsible due to mental state

A Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her children faced a judge Tuesday via zoom in Plymouth District Court.

Lindsay Clancy of Duxbury was arraigned from her hospital bed on two counts of murder, three counts each of strangulation, and assault and battery with a deadly weapon by exercise rope. The judge stated that she cannot leave the hospital until she is ready to be sent to a 24-hour rehab facility. The judge believes she is not a flight risk. If she leaves the rehab, she will be on house arrest.

The prosecution stated that Clancy’s first communication after the deaths on a white board was asking if she needed an attorney. The prosecution also stated that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Clancy’s lawyer, former Jasiel Correia attorney Kevin Reddington, argued that she was involuntarily intoxicated due to being given one drug after another for an extended period of time leaving her not criminally responsible for the deaths of her children.

Reddington disputed claims that Clancy is physically improving and has been seeing friends and family saying that she has only had contact with her attorney and medical staff. He stated that Clancy is not feeling emotions and is suicidal and prison is not a place for her in her condition. Reddington also stated that doctors say Clancy is paralyzed and her condition is likely permanent.

Clancy wore a medical mask at the time of her arraignment.

The Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz stated that police responded to a home at 47 Summer Street in Duxbury on January 24th after a 911 call at 6:11 p.m. for a report of a male resident coming home and finding Clancy was attempting to commit suicide.

Responders located three children unconscious, a 5-year-old girl, a 3-year-old boy, and an approximately 7-month-old infant, which were found with serious trauma. The three-year-old and five-year-old were taken to a hospital where they were pronounced deceased on January 24th.

The 7-month-old was medflighted to a Boston Hospital and passed away last Friday.

According to the prosecution, Lindsay Clancy placed a takeout order that her husband Patrick picked up and she used maps to see how long the trip would take. When Patrick got home, he found blood in the home and went outside to find Lindsay on the ground with wounds on her wrist and other areas that were no longer bleeding. She then told her husband she tried to commit suicide and that the children were in the basement. While on the phone with 911, Patrick could be heard screaming once finding his children. Exercise bands were found at the children.

Clancy was committed to a hospital in January and the prosecution stated that Lindsay was on three medications at the time of the deaths. The prosecution portrayed Lindsay’s life as carrying on as somewhat normal and that she no longer had suicidal thoughts and was doing better.

While in her hospital bed, Clancy reportedly called her husband and told him that she heard a man’s voice to kill the kids in a moment of psychosis. The prosecution went on to say that Lindsay had to use several minutes of force by the exercise bands to cause the children to become unconscious.

Reddington stated how much Clancy wanted children and cared for them indicating that she wanted to have more children. He also told the court of the list of letters written in favor of Lindsay Clancy and her character and argued that the strangulation of the children was not planned and was due to her mental struggles.

Reddington, told the Boston Globe that she was overmedicated and was turning into a zombie after being prescribed 12 prescription drugs which led to homicidal and suicidal thoughts the evening she allegedly strangled her three children.

The Globe also stated that Patrick Clancy approached doctors for help days before the killings and was not warned concerning leaving her alone with the children.

Clancy currently can’t walk or get out of bed, according to Reddington, and she is not in good physical or emotional shape.

Among the medications prescribed to Clancy according to Reddington, were zolpidem (sold under the brand name Ambien); clonazepam (sold under the brand name Klonopin); diazepam (sold under the brand name Valium); fluoxetine (sold under the brand name Prozac); lamotrigine (sold under the brand name Lamictil); lorazepam (sold under the brand name Ativan); mirtazapine (sold under the brand name Remeron); quetiapine fumarate (sold under the brand name Seroquel); and trazodone.

On January 28th, Lindsay’s husband Patrick Clancy released a statement on a GoFundMe fundraiser page that is currently just a few thousand away from its goal of raising $1 million. Clancy asked the public to forgive his wife while also letting the public know details about his three children.