Lindsay Clancy broke her silence and spoke out loud in court for the first time on Tuesday during the sixth day of the ongoing murder trial to determine if she is legally responsible for killing her three children after allegedly suffering postpartum
psychosis. During the exchange, she confirmed to the judge that she agreed to a stipulation of facts.
When Massachusetts Superior Court Judge William Sullivan asked whether Clancy would stipulate to the facts, she replied: “Yes, your honor.”
The stipulation means that Clancy will not be able to contest certain facts in the case going forward. Kevin Reddington, Clancy’s attorney, said the stipulation centers around facts related to the chain of custody of DNA evidence. Clancy’s agreement to stipulate would mean that prosecutors no longer need to call certain witnesses to testify about the agreed-upon facts.
This marked the first time Clancy has spoken aloud since the trial started last week. In the proceedings, which are being streamed live by several news outlets, including the Associated Press, Clancy has been seen sitting quietly next to her attorney. She was observed breaking down in tears during several emotional moments at the trial, including the presentation of the clothes her children were wearing the night they died and the playing of the 911 call made by Clancy’s now-ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, on the night of the incident.
The stipulation agreement could speed up the trial, which was expected to last four to six weeks.
Clancy has pleaded not guilty to charges in connection with the deaths of her three children — Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan — in January 2023, according to the Associated Press.
Clancy jumped out a window after strangling the children to death and was paralyzed in the fall. She now uses a wheelchair.
While Clancy has not denied killing the children, the trial is expected to determine whether she was legally responsible for her actions. Clancy claims she developed postpartum psychosis after the birth of her youngest child. The relatively rare diagnosis can cause women to develop delusions and even hallucinations, according to the National Institutes of Health. It is considered a psychiatric emergency.
Clancy’s lawyer and Patrick Clancy both support her claim that she was not responsible for her actions. “This whole case is an extreme tragedy,” defense attorney Kevin Reddington said, according to AP.
Prosecutors, however, contend that Clancy planned and went through with the killings with a clear state of mind.
Patrick, who has publicly stated that he has forgiven his ex-wife, was the first witness called to testify. He spoke of her deteriorating mental health at the time of the incident, saying she “kept getting worse and worse.”
Prosecutors have also questioned several first responders and medical professionals during the trial, seemingly trying to call the legitimacy of Clancy’s apparent suicide attempt into question.
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