Portrait of a Tragedy: Lindsay Clancy

In January 2023, Patrick Clancy came home to find his wife outside, paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from the second story window. Inside his house were their three dead children. Today his now ex wife Lindsay is on trial for the murder of Cora (age 5), Dawson (age three) and Callan (eight months old) who had all been strangled. Her defense? Postpartum psychosis.

Postpartum psychosis is rare. It only affects about one to two out of every 1,000 women following childbirth versus postpartum depression which  is much more common. Postpartum psychosis consists of delusions and hallucinations and is more likely in people with bipolar disorder (which Lindsay sadly suffered from). Lindsay was struggling after the birth of her third child. She sought help from her family, from her husband and from mental health professionals who prescribed her even more meds than mine (I am under the impression she had several doctors prescribing her medication). After my own experience, I am firmly convinced a patient should only see one doctor at a time. My experience culminated with me taking my own life. Lindsay’s experience resulted in the death of three innocent children at the hands of the person meant to protect them.

I didn’t study the case. I’m not going to pretend to know legal jargon or the ins and outs of the court. I took an interest in the case because Lindsay is the reason I will never have biological children. It was a decision I made already (which I have reiterated on this blog several times) but this story was a splash of reality. With the right medication I am clear eyed and have no wish to gamble with my life anymore. But under the right circumstances that could all change. And innocent victims could suffer the consequences. 

Again I am not afforded a spot on this jury nor am I the judge. But I do not believe this was cold blooded murder. Lindsay said she heard a “male voice” ordering her to kill her children. Hearing voices that tell you what to do rings with true psychosis. I am honestly not surprised with all the meds she was on and her psychiatric history that she listened to these voices. That does not mean I think she should go free. I think she should be committed to a mental institution for a very long time, if not the rest of her life. Not as a punishment because I think  living with the knowledge of what she did will be the greatest punishment of all. But as a precaution because someone as sick as her is unfortunately a danger to society (and, as she has proved, to herself). 

The whole case is very sad but it brings up important discussions like our (broken) mental health system. It should not have been possible for a woman recently institutionalized and placed on thirteen medications to go home and strangle her children. This is not Lindsay’s fault. It’s not her  husband’s fault. It is just proof for the umpteenth time we know so little about mental health. And that has to change.