Watch Live: Lindsay Clancy trial testimony moves to psychiatrists who treated her before murders
Psychiatrists who treated Lindsay Clancy before she killed her three young children in Duxbury, Massachusetts, on Jan. 24, 2023, began testifying in her high-profile murder trial on Friday.
Clancy is facing first-degree murder charges in the deaths of 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan. The defense says she was overmedicated and suffering from an extreme episode of postpartum psychosis when she strangled the children.
A full day of testimony is expected on Friday in Plymouth Superior Court.
You can watch the trial live in the embedded video, on CBS News Boston or on the CBS News Boston YouTube page while court is in session.
Lindsay Clancy psychiatrist testifies
The first psychiatrist to testify Friday was Dr. Alia Goodheart of McLean Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Belmont where Lindsay Clancy was admitted for inpatient treatment from Jan. 1 to Jan. 5, 2023. Clancy had follow up outpatient treatment there up until the murders on Jan. 24.
Goodheart said Clancy told her she was having side effects from medication and found it hard to sleep without medicine. The doctor testified Clancy was a low level risk patient who was "anxious" and her diagnosis was "major depressive disorder, severe without psychotic features."
When prosecutor Shanan Buckingham asked Goodheart about her observations of Clancy's mental status, the doctor told the court, "I can't remember certain elements... she was appropriately dressed, speech was normal rate and volume, she was polite and cooperative."
Buckingham also asked Goodheart if she observed any signs of psychosis with Clancy and the doctor replied "no." She also said Clancy was specifically asked if she had a plan to kill herself or harm others and "she denied it," the doctor said.
"I did not have any concerns about her safety or a risk for anybody else," Goodheart testified about discharging Clancy on Jan. 5, 19 days before the murders. "She had never stated that she had any thoughts of harming anybody else."
Clancy was then sent home with a two-week supply of Ativan and Trazodone, medicines to treat depression, anxiety and insomnia.
Goodheart testified for about an hour before Clancy's attorney Kevin Reddington began his cross-examination of her around 10:45 a.m. She is still on the stand.
"How many women have you treated that are suffering from postpartum psychosis?" Reddington asked her. After a long pause, Goodheart replied, "I haven't seen any."
The first psychiatrist to treat Lindsay Clancy, Dr. Jennifer Tufts, is expected to testify next, according to the witness list.
Clancy's mental health is a key issue at trial. Her ex-husband Patrick Clancy testified last week that she started making suicidal statements and told him she had thoughts of hurting the children after switching to a new medication in December 2022.
Lindsay Clancy trial day 9
The first witness on the stand Friday morning was Kimberlee Hardy, the former director of the Kingsbury Club, a fitness center in Kingston. She testified briefly about Cora and Dawson spending time in the playroom there in 2022 and early 2023 and that Lindsay Clancy "seemed happy to be with them" and always picked them up on time.
She was followed by the 58th witness for the prosecution, Sarah Carney of Duxbuy, a friend of the Clancy family for several years. Carney was on the stand for about ten minutes and spoke about their children spending time together.
Lindsay Clancy trial this week
On Thursday, a childhood friend testified that Clancy texted her and said she had been taking a medication that caused some "dark thoughts." Clancy said she was trying to wean herself off the medication and try new ones to remove the side effects. Another friend said Clancy told her that she was feeling "like a zombie" shortly before the murders, and a coworker said Clancy reported "negative side effects from the medication."
Clancy also wrote about her mental health struggles in diary entries that were read aloud in court on Monday.
"I feel like I'm drowning every day," Clancy said in one entry.
On Tuesday, prosecutors showed the prescription pill bottles seized from the Clancy home after the murders. They say that while Clancy was prescribed several drugs for her mental health, she was not taking many pills from each bottle.
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.
