Lindsay Clancy built a seemingly idyllic life with her husband and three young children—all under the age of 6—in Duxbury, Massachusetts. However, prosecutors allege that image was shattered in January 2023 when Clancy brutally strangled her kids to death.
Clancy, 35, is accused of three counts each of first-degree murder and strangulation, with her highly anticipated trial expected to begin on July 20. She faces a mandatory life sentence if convicted of the murder charges.
While prosecutors claim her actions were deliberate, Clancy has pleaded not guilty to all charges and her defense team contends she suffered from undiagnosed postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings. Now, a jury will ultimately decide the mother’s fate.
Here’s everything we know about Clancy’s background, the alleged murders, and what to expect during the trial.
Who Is Lindsay Clancy?
Lindsay Marie Musgrove was born on August 11, 1990, according to court documents obtained by WPRI.com. She was raised in Wallingford, Connecticut.
She attended a rigorous accelerated nursing program at Massachusetts General Hospital, then worked as a labor and delivery nurse at the facility for nine years.
In December 2016, Lindsay married Patrick Clancy. The couple had three children: Cora, born in December 2017; Dawson, September 2019; and Callan, May 2022. The family lived in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
“She was a fun-loving, doting wife and mother,” Susan Clancy, Patrick’s mother, told a grand jury of Lindsay. “She loved her kids, and she was a nurturing mother who smiled all the time.”
Lindsay began experiencing postpartum anxiety following the birth of both Cora and Dawson, according to The New Yorker. After Dawson’s birth, she managed her symptoms with exercise, meditation, and therapy. After Callan’s birth, however, the symptoms grew in severity. After a period of hypomanic behavior, meaning heightened energy and mood, Lindsay “experienced debilitating anxiety, [insomnia,] sleeping only approximately three hours per night, and exhaustion during the day.” She also heard voices and experienced suicidal ideation.
Lindsay sought help from postpartum mental health specialists, although she was only diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. She even insisted she needed to be hospitalized for mental health concerns in December 2022, Patrick told The New Yorker, but she never received a more severe diagnosis. On January 1, 2023, she was admitted to an inpatient program at a top psychiatric institution, McLean Hospital, but was discharged after just five days.
Patrick later confirmed Lindsay had been prescribed and tried more than a dozen medications in an attempt to manage her apparent depression.
Tragically, the saga culminated in a violent incident that left their three children dead.
Why Is Lindsay Clancy Accused of Killing Her Children?
According to prosecutors, Lindsay took her daughter to the pediatrician and played in the snow with their children on January 24, 2023, before asking Patrick to pick up takeout for dinner and medication at a nearby pharmacy. She was allegedly fully coherent, according to witnesses.
When he returned home, Patrick discovered Lindsay semi-conscious and bleeding outside. She claimed she had tried to jump out a window in a suicide attempt.
Inside, Patrick found all three of their children in the home’s basement. They allegedly had exercise bands wrapped around their necks. Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead at the hospital the same day, while Callan was placed on life support but died on January 27. All three died of “ligature strangulation.”
On February 7, 2023, the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office announced Lindsay was arraigned from her bed in a Boston hospital and charged with three counts each of murder, strangulation, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. She pleaded not guilty to the charges. Judge John Canavan also ordered Lindsay to be held at a medical facility until her treatment following the incident was complete.
Months later, in October 2023, NBC10 reported Clancy was ordered to be held without bail and to remain at the Tewksbury Hospital. She is still at the facility as she awaits trial, and is now paraplegic following her suicide attempt.
What Has Lindsay Clancy Said About the Case?
Clancy doesn’t deny killing her three children, but has argued in pretrial motions that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time of their deaths and thus not guilty by an insanity defense, according to Court TV.
The defense team previously petitioned for a “bifurcated trial,” with one phase to determine guilt and another for criminal responsibility, and Clancy was reportedly willing to admit to her role in her children’s deaths in writing so only the second part would be considered. If she is found mentally incompetent at the time of the killings, she wouldn’t go to prison, but could be committed to a mental health facility.
However, so far, this request has been denied and it will be a standard trial.
Just weeks after Lindsay’s arraignment, Patrick issued a statement saying he had forgiven her and that her passion “taught me how to be a better father.”
“She’s recently been portrayed largely by people who have never met her and never knew who the real Lindsay was,” Patrick added. “Our marriage was wonderful and diametrically grew stronger as her condition rapidly worsened. I took as much pride in being her husband as I did in being a father and felt persistently lucky to have her in my life.”
When Does Lindsay Clancy’s Trial Begin?
Clancy’s trial is set to begin on Monday, July 20, at Plymouth County Superior Court in Plymouth, Massachusetts. A final pretrial hearing is scheduled one week prior on July 13, according to NBC 10.
The trial has already experienced three significant delays. It was supposed to begin in February 2026, but both Clancy’s defense attorney and prosecutors requested more time to prepare for the “discovery-intensive case.”
Prosecutors presented the judge with a list of 168 potential witnesses who may be called to testify—though the number is likely to be condensed, according to ABC 5 in Boston. The defense said it has about 50, mostly character witnesses.
Prosecutors also planned to request the jury in the trial be allowed to visit the home where the killings took place, per The Patriot-Ledger. However, the new homeowner—Patrick Clancy sold the residence at 47 Summer Street in Duxbury in 2024—reportedly objects to the motion. A final decision is expected sometime before the trial begins.
Check back with Biography.com for updates from the case.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
