Doctors testify in Lindsay Clancy trial after jury views home where 3 kids were murdered in Massachusetts
Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy case started Day 4 of the high-profile murder trial Friday with a visit to the Duxbury, Massachusetts, home where she admitted to killing her three young children. Back in court, they heard from doctors who treated two of her kids, and police officers who were with her in the hospital after the murders.
Clancy is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan. Prosecutors say the murders were calculated, while Clancy's defense argues that she was overmedicated and suffering from extreme postpartum psychosis.
Lindsay Clancy trial jury view
Investigators say that after sending her now ex-husband Patrick out of the house to pick up takeout food and medicine for the kids on the evening of Jan. 24, 2023, Lindsay Clancy strangled the children with exercise bands in the basement before cutting herself and jumping out her second-story bedroom window.
According to a court order, jurors were able to inspect the outside of the property as well as the basement and all rooms on the first and second floors.
"They're going to understand how many steps Lindsay Clancy had to go up after killing the children to then take the pills, and the window that she jumped out of it, and get a visual looking down from that window and where did she land," WBZ legal analyst Jennifer Roman said.
Jurors were not allowed to open closet doors or touch any items inside the house, the judge said.
Before getting to the house, the jurors were driven by the ThreeV restaurant in Plymouth, where Patrick Clancy picked up the food Lindsay ordered on the night of the murders.
Then they passed by the Kingston CVS where Patrick Clancy picked up medicine for Cora. He testified Wednesday that he called Lindsay while he was at the store to make sure he was getting the right item.
"She was pretty quiet. It sounded like she was busy," he said. "I remember hanging up thinking she was probably in the middle of giving baths or something like that."
The jurors were supervised by police during the three visits.
"It's all about fleshing this out for the jurors so they can really understand and appreciate what this crime scene was and how long it would've taken Patrick Clancy to go from Point A to Point B on that particular day," Roman said.
Testimony focuses on Lindsay Clancy's injuries
Once they returned to Plymouth Superior Court, jurors heard more testimony from first responders who saw Lindsay Clancy in the hospital after the fall that paralyzed her.
Duxbury police Sgt. Marcanthony Maffeo said Clancy appeared "sedated and unconscious with several lacerations to her arms and neck" at South Shore Hospital. Jurors were shown close-up photos of Clancy's injuries at the hospital. During cross-examination, attorney Kevin Reddington had Maffeo confirm that there was blood on Clancy's clothes and all over her bedroom. He also showed the jury a photo of a bloody knife on a nightstand in the bedroom.
Duxbury police officer Richard Lippard was in charge of watching Clancy at South Shore Hospital.
"She seemed to be sedated, not speaking or anything, on the hospital bed. Just laying there," he said.
Lippard also rode along with Clancy in a medical helicopter to Brigham & Women's Hospital in Boston, where no one was allowed to visit her.
Doctors who treated Clancy children testify
Dr. Mark Tenerowicz, who was an emergency room physician at Beth Israel Plymouth on the night of the murders, said 3-year-old Dawson was not breathing and had no pulse when he arrived at the hospital. He estimates that medical personnel worked on the boy for about 40 minutes before he was declared dead.
"It did not look like his heart would ever start again," Dr. Tenerowicz said.
Lindsay Clancy cried, her shoulders shaking, during the doctor's testimony.
Dr. Benjamin Kaufman was also working at the hospital that night and treated baby Callan. He said they were able to get the infant's heart beating again, but he had essentially no brain function. He said Callan was flown by helicopter to Boston Children's Hospital, but died.
Testimony concluded for the day at about 12:30 p.m., with Judge William Sullivan telling jurors that the case was proceeding ahead of schedule. Court will resume on Monday morning.
Defense attorney Reddington told WBZ-TV's Kristina Rex that prosecutors ran out of witnesses again Friday and he thinks their case will be done earlier than expected. He believes more doctors are still slated to testify.
What happened in the Lindsay Clancy trial this week?
On Thursday, the jury heard from 10 first responders who were called to the Duxbury home. Police officers testified that they were tending to Lindsay Clancy's injuries outside the house when they heard screams coming from the basement, as Patrick discovered the children's bodies.
A paramedic who testified spoke about how the scene "turned very chaotic very quickly" as they tried unsuccessfully to provide life-saving measures to the children.
Earlier in the week, Patrick Clancy was on the stand for two days of emotional testimony. He talked about his ex-wife's struggle with mental illness and the jury heard his distressing 911 call on the night of the murders. Lindsay Clancy sobbed with her face in her hands as the 911 recording played and Patrick could be heard saying "I need help in the basement right now ... she killed the kids!"
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
