The Misery Machine - The Case of Lindsay Clancy

Starting point is 00:00:00 Lindsay Marie Clancy was born on August 11th, 1990 in Massachusetts to parents Paula and Mike Musgrove and went on to grow up in Wallingford, Connecticut. Lindsay's childhood in her tight-knit community was described as quiet and peaceful. By all reports, it was a typical suburban childhood. She graduated from Lyman Hall High School in Wallingford, Connecticut in 2008. Lindsay continued on to study at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, where she was a member of their tumbling team. Lindsay graduated with her bachelor's degree in biology in 2012.

Starting point is 00:00:34 This was the same year that she met and started dating Patrick Clancy. In 2014, Lindsay began working at South Shore Hospital in South Waymouth, Massachusetts as a nursing assistant. She later became a registered nurse and began working in the Labor and Delivery Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Patrick and Lindsay married in December of 2016 and went on to have three children, Kora, Dawson, and Callan. According to all reports from family, friends, and community members,

Starting point is 00:01:04 the Clancy family was the picture-perfect upper-middle-class family. Lindsay was known for being generous and loving. Her husband Patrick described her as romantic, who was passionate about caring for the people around her. She was regularly trusted to babysitter friends' kids. As a labor and delivery nurse, she was also described as a devoted caretaker to her patient. According to Patrick, her devotion to her children

Starting point is 00:01:28 was unmatched, and he said her passion taught him how to be a better father. Many friends and co-workers also sung her praises. According to fellow nurse Erica Severe, she said, I do not know a better mother than Lindsay Clancy. She lived and breathed for her children. Another friend, Amy Bevan, said, I am steadfast in my belief that her greatest joy was being a mom and watching her children grow. Patrick worked from home for Microsoft in his basement office. He was described as a being a seasoned sales professional, having worked with some of the largest companies in the world. But above all else, Patrick was a proud dad and a loving husband. He often left his camera on with Callan in the room and his bouncer for work meetings. Patrick was too proud of his son to turn

Starting point is 00:02:13 the camera off or move him somewhere else. Cora was described by Patrick as being cautious, but caring. She wanted to be a doctor when she grew up and would practice by giving her brother Callan checkups. This caring nature came out with her dolls as well. She could wrap her dolls. Caroline and Charlotte, in a perfect swaddle by the time she was two years old. If she was leaving the house, she would pick someone to look after them while she was gone. She loved babies, both real and pretend. Cora was also very close to her father. They did lots of activities together, such as skiing and taking trips together.

Starting point is 00:02:46 She also loved sloths, unicorns, tea parties, giving people presents, and going to lunch with her nana and grandpa. At the time of our story, Cora was five years old. Dawson was funny and mischievous. He enjoyed causing trouble, which he found hilarious. He was also more generous than the typical toddler. He was always willing to share his toys with others and was always very kind. Even as a toddler, it was clear he was incredibly smart.

Starting point is 00:03:12 His parents often joked that living in Dawson's guest house was their backup plan if they didn't save enough for retirement. Patrick described his relationship with Dawson as being especially close. He said that they had a special bond from day one. Dawson was a gift in his life and they were best buddies. At the time of our story, Dawson was three years old. At only seven months old, Callum was a happy and easygoing baby. He was his parents' best sleeper and born with hardly any fuss, earning him the nickname Happy Callan. He was always smiling.

Starting point is 00:03:42 Callan loved the routine he had with his father who would come up from his basement office at the end of each day and swing Callum between his legs while he laughed and smiled. That was the last interaction Patrick had with his base. boy before everything in his life changed on January 24th, 2023. Lindsay began struggling with postpartum depression after the birth of her second son, Dawson, and made Facebook posts illustrating her struggles. As Dawson got older, she felt as if though every interaction she had with him was a battle of wills. Instead of trying to hide her parenting struggles as we often see in these cases, Lindsay was up front and started to seek out support.

Starting point is 00:04:21 She did not appear to withdraw from her children. Neighbors said they often saw her walking around the neighborhood with them. Everything continued to appear normal. The children were obviously well-fed and loved. There were toys in the yard in every room of the house. They took trips together as a family often to go skiing to their favorite beach or to spend the day out on their boat. After Callan was born on May 26, 2020, Lindsay's postpartum depression returned.

Starting point is 00:04:48 From the outside, it appeared to be going better than with her previous. recovery with Dawson. Lindsay posted on Facebook saying that she was focused on exercise, nutrition, and having a positive mindset. She said it made all the difference. However, as Lindsay's maternity leave came to an end in September of 2022, her anxiety returned. It is important to note that when we were talking about postpartum mental health, the most widely discussed condition is postpartum depression. But that is not the only condition affecting mothers. There's also postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD and postpartum psychosis. It is also typical for new moms to feel anxious or sad about returning to work. It can be hard to tell where the line is between normal emotional fluctuations

Starting point is 00:05:32 and something requiring a clinical intervention. Being a labor and delivery nurse, Lindsay knew what to look for. In September, as her anxiety arose as she was about to return to work, she sought help. She saw two different psychiatrists, and she was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder. Over the next several months, Lindsay was prescribed 13 different psychiatric medications to treat anxiety, depression, panic attacks, and insomnia. These medications included colonopin, Valium, Prozac, Zoloft, Ativan, as well as others. It was reported that she was on four different prescribed medications at a time. You may have heard the clinical lore that it is best to wait six weeks after starting a new

Starting point is 00:06:12 medication before adjusting the dose or trying a different medication. So seeing that 13 medications were tried to try to do that. in a few short months can be pretty shocking. However, some of the new research coming from the National Library of Medicine suggests something different. A new study suggests that an adjustment after two weeks can increase the chances of finding an appropriate dose. This may help patients who aren't seeing results before they give up on the medication altogether.

Starting point is 00:06:36 Perhaps that is why the number of medications she was trying was so high. The sheer number of medications also suggests that many of these meds just weren't working for her. You would think that if they had been helping, she would have been able to stick to a consistent regimen. In October, amid the psychiatric medication roulette, Lindsay was still struggling. Notes were found on her phone illustrating her mental state. On October 25th, she wrote, I think I sort of resent my other children because they prevent me from treating cow like my first baby.

Starting point is 00:07:09 She also wrote that she knew this perspective wasn't fair to her older children. She also wrote, I was feeling so depressed last evening when Corrin Dawson came home from school. I know it runs off on them, so we had a pretty rough evening. I want to feel love and connection with all my kids. In December, Lindsay was still struggling.

Starting point is 00:07:31 She was evaluated at the Women and Infants Hospital Center for Women's Behavioral Health and Providence. She was told at this time that she had no symptoms of postpartum psychosis. Later in the month, Lindsay told her, husband that she was still having dark thoughts surrounding her children as well as herself. On January 1st, 2023, Lindsay admitted herself to McLean Hospital in Belmont for psychiatric care. She was discharged on January 5th and was not considered by medical professionals to be

Starting point is 00:08:00 a danger to herself or others at that time. At no point was Patrick warned that he should not leave Lindsay alone with the children. Through the month of January, she continued to take multiple medications daily. Patrick said she was taking the medications as prescribed. As the month progressed, Patrick continued to be concerned about his wife. He checked in on her to see if she was still having dark thoughts and she said that she was not. However, Patrick was still concerned. He reached out to the doctor treating his wife to help manage her medications. Allegedly, Patrick went to her doctor and repeatedly begged for help. He said that medications were over the top and turning her into a zombie. This was one week before tragedy struck.

Starting point is 00:08:43 On January 22nd, the family went to dinner at their friend's house. Their friend Kyle Carney was surprised to see Lindsay that day, as he hadn't seen her in months due to her depression. Kyle said she seemed fairly normal that night. However, Patrick confided that she was still having anxiety about returning to work and her medications were not working. He told Kyle that she was still suffering from benzodiazepine withdrawals from six weeks earlier and had, according to her,

Starting point is 00:09:08 the worst side effects possible. The next day on January 23rd, Lindsay made a note on her phone about experiencing a touch of postpartum anxiety in regards to returning to work. In addition, it was noted by one source that Lindsay was in a five-day-a-week program for women struggling with postpartum depression.

Starting point is 00:09:26 On the morning of January 24th, Lindsay took Cora to a scheduled doctor's appointment. It's unclear if this was an annual wellness visit or if this was scheduled due to a concern about her health. We do know that later that day, Lindsay was calling the local CVS pharmacy about children's Mirolax. During this appointment, Lindsay interacted with the receptionist and several medical personnel. No one noticed anything strange about her behavior, nor did she mention anything was wrong with her mental state to her daughter's pediatrician. After they returned home

Starting point is 00:09:56 from that appointment, the family appeared to have a normal day. She sent pictures to her husband and parents, and she was texting them throughout the course of the day. There were no signs that anything was amiss. Patrick was working in his home office and Lindsay was outside building a snowman with her kids. Patrick noted that this appeared to be one of her best days. She was smiling and seemed happy. At around 4 p.m. after searching for children's Miralax on her cell phone, Lindsay also searched for Takeout 3V. 3V is a restaurant in Plymouth, Massachusetts, about 15 minutes from the family's home. Lindsay used Apple Maps to search how long it would take to drive from their home in Duxbury to 3V in Plymouth.

Starting point is 00:10:38 45 minutes later, she called the CVS in Kingston and spoke with a manager to ask if they had children's Merellax. According to the manager, their conversation was normal and her words were not slurred or impaired in any way. At 453 p.m., Lindsay texted Patrick, who was working in the basement to ask if he wanted to get takeout for dinner. Her text said she hadn't cooked anything because it just had been a long day for her. At 510, Lindsay called 3V to order takeout, a Mediterranean power.

Starting point is 00:11:05 bowl for Lindsay and the scallop and pork belly risotto for Patrick. Lindsay also texted him, Pediolax liquid stool softener around the time that he left. At 5.15, Patrick left to pick up the food and medicine at CBS. For leaving, Patrick had the same interaction he had with Callan every day when he came upstairs after a day of work. Patrick picked him up and swung him between his legs, causing Callan to erupt with laughter. Then he climbed in his car and drove away from his baby boy, not knowing

Starting point is 00:11:35 it was the last time he would ever see him alive. At 5.32 p.m., Patrick arrived at the CVS in Kingston and went to the appropriate aisle to find the medicine Lindsay requested. Security footage showed he called Lindsay while standing in the aisle. Patrick said he was trying to confirm what brand he was supposed to get. Lindsay didn't answer her phone. However, one minute later, she did call him back, and to Patrick, nothing was amiss, but he noticed that Lindsay seemed to be in the middle of something when they spoke.

Starting point is 00:12:01 After his stop at CVS, he drove to 3V and picked up their food 20 minutes later. After which, he began the 15-minute drive home. Patrick returned home at 6.09 p.m., not even an hour after leaving his house. The house he left filled with the laughter and energy of three young children was now completely silent. Patrick called out for Lindsay and eventually tried to reach her by phone, but there was no answer. He went upstairs to their bedroom and found that the door was locked. When he was finally able to get the door open, he noticed there was blood on the floor in front of a full-length mirror

Starting point is 00:12:34 and the bedroom window was open. Patrick rushed outside to find Lindsay sprawled on the ground outside of their two-story house. She was alive, but she had lacerations on her wrists and her neck. At 6.11 p.m., just two minutes after arriving home with their dinner, Patrick called 911. On the call, Patrick asked Lindsay, what did you do? And Lizzie can be heard in the background saying, And if you're familiar with our previous episodes, you'll know YouTube won't allow us to say several words regarding to what Lindsay did.

Starting point is 00:13:06 The best way we can describe it is that Lindsay admitted to trying to self-checkout by jumping out her bedroom window. Emergency services were immediately dispatch. Patrick was still at Lindsay's side when the paramedics arrived and began assessing her injuries. She was reported to have been in and out of consciousness and her cuts had already stopped bleeding. While still on the phone with dispatch, Patrick could be heard asking Lindsay where the kids are, to which she replied in the basement. While remaining on the phone with emergency services, Patrick immediately rushed down to the basement. He could be heard calling out for the kids, followed by screams of agony when he found them,

Starting point is 00:13:44 which was hurt outside by everyone. The scene was out of a nightmare. Each child was lying on the floor with an exercise band wrapped around their neck. Cora and Callan were both on the floor of the den, and Dawson was alone on the floor of Patrick's office. Dawson and Callan were face down, and Cora was on her side with her torso turned toward the floor. Patrick rushed over and removed the bands from their necks, begging for them to breathe. When officers made it to the basement, Patrick, whose screams got more frantic, yelled, she killed the kids. Emergency personnel proceeded to administer compressions in an attempt to revive the children.

Starting point is 00:14:24 On the 911 call, a request can be heard for extra officers to come to the basement to assist. The police also made several requests for additional ambulances as they discovered the children. Corrin Dawson never regained a pulse, and were pronounced dead when they arrived at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Plymouth. Due to the life-saving efforts of the first responders, Callan did regain a heartbeat. However, he did not regain brain function following the strangulation. He was life-flighted to the Boston Children's Hospital. But unfortunately, Callan Clancy died three days later on January 27th at 1118 a.m. Just one day after turning eight months old.

Starting point is 00:15:03 In the immediate aftermath, Lindsay was transported to South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, where she remained unconscious for several days. She was treated for several broken bones in her back and rib cage. These injuries left her paralyzed and without any feeling below her belly button. On January 25th, an arrest warrant was issued for Lindsay Clancy for two. counts of homicide, three counts of strangulation, and three counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon. Lindsay regained consciousness on January 27th. One of the first things Lindsay did, while still intubated, was use a whiteboard to ask, do I need an attorney?

Starting point is 00:15:42 A GoFundMe was established for Patrick by one of his family members. Patrick posted on the GoFundMe page on January 28th, writing in great detail about his children's unique personalities. He also asked the community to forgive Lindsay as he already had. He described their deep love for one another and her kindness and dedication to her family and her patients. He stated that the real Lindsay was generous, loving, and caring, going as far as to say, the very fibers of her soul are loving. He also thanked the medical community and the fire and police departments for their help. As of the date of this recording, the GoFundMe account has raised over $1 million.

Starting point is 00:16:22 After the deaths of Cora, Dawson, and Callan, two perspectives quickly formed. Was Lindsay a monster who meticulously planned the deaths of her children? Or was she mentally ill and not at fault for her actions due to her condition? Lindsay called Patrick on February 6th from her psychiatrist's phone and claimed she had a moment of psychosis that caused her to strangle the children. She claimed that she heard a man's voice telling her to kill the kids and jump from the window because it was her last chance. Lindsay's defense team and seemingly everyone in her network of friends, family, and coworkers

Starting point is 00:16:56 supported the claim that she would not have done this had she been mentally sound. They claimed that this was a failure of the medical system and that Lindsay was overmedicated, which resulted in her psychotic episode. However, the prosecution claimed that this was a deliberate and premeditated act. According to them, the activity on Lindsay's phone that day proved that she was planning in advance how long her husband would be gone picking up food. Allegedly, she was doing this to ensure she would have enough time to kill their children before he returned.

Starting point is 00:17:26 They also noted that she interacted with many people that day. And none of those interactions did she seem unwell or ask for help. The prosecution also claimed that Lindsay was evaluated and was not found to be suffering from postpartum depression. However, the months of treatment before the incident seemed to indicate otherwise. She started seeking medical help in October and even admitted herself to the the hospital as a precaution when she felt she could not keep herself or her kids safe. Allegedly, she was in a day treatment program for people with postpartum depression.

Starting point is 00:17:58 These signs all seem to show that not only was she struggling with her mental health, she was continuing her attempts to find the right treatment. Lindsay was read her charges from the Plymouth District Court via Zoom because she could not travel to her arraignment due to her injuries. During the arraignment, Lindsay could be seen wearing a neck brace and a medical mask. The prosecution stated that it would be inhumane to remove her from the hospital to a jail or prison facility due to these injuries. Medical professionals also stated that her mental health was so poor that she needed 24-7 monitoring. It was said that Lindsay was extremely emotional, yet unable to experience happiness or sadness and was unable to cry.

Starting point is 00:18:38 Lindsay is still being held without bail at the Tewksbury State Hospital. Her trial has not yet been held as of the date of this recording. This case has sparked an enormous discussion about how mothers in this country are being served by the medical community after giving birth to a child. It seems that Lindsay's case hits the public particularly hard because she had no pre-existing factors. She was not impoverished. She was not addicted to drugs. She did not lack access to health care. And she was not unaware of the risks.

Starting point is 00:19:11 Lindsay had no criminal record, not even a driving record. There was no history of Lindsay or Patrick mistreating or not. neglecting their children. By all accounts, this was a very stable family. The other unique piece to this case is that it does not appear that Lindsay was trying to hide her struggles. We often see mothers afraid of the stigma of asking for help. Many moms fear that if they admit that they are struggling, they will be judged by their peers or perhaps their children will be taken away. This often results in mothers hiding their challenges and trying to cope on their own. However, Lindsay was actively seeking and getting help, and her husband was advocating

Starting point is 00:19:47 on her behalf with medical professionals. Lindsay was being proactive about placing herself in the hospital when she felt like she was a danger to herself and others. She also took meticulous notes as part of her daily routine, so there was proof on her phone of notes she made about how badly she wanted to be better, notes about how she wanted to love all of her children equally. So how did this happen?

Starting point is 00:20:10 How did a well-educated medical professional with a supportive husband, supportive friends, financial stability, and the attention of the medical professionals still get to this point. Lindsay's case has sparked some proposed changes in legislation. Massachusetts lawmakers are proposing a bill to better protect defendants suffering from postpartum psychosis. If this legislation passes, it would create a path for defendants to be found not guilty by reason of mental illness. This would be available if they had delivered a baby in the last year and been diagnosed with any perinatal psychiatric.

Starting point is 00:20:44 complications. This would apply to all criminal charges. This bill would allow them to receive intense therapy instead of the typical maximum sentences. One goal is to remove the possibility of a first-degree murder conviction in these cases. This bill was also proposed in 2021, but it was not passed. The Clancy case has brought awareness back to this legislation. Representative Jim O'Day, a former social worker himself is hoping with some changes of wording and the current attention of the public that this bill would be passed. Cora, Dawson, and Callan Clancy were cremated and laid to rest on February 3, 2023. Their father, Patrick, wrote a eulogy that was read by the Reverend Bob Dehant.

Starting point is 00:21:29 Their service was held at St. Mary of the Nativity in situate, Massachusetts. The Reverend said it was difficult, but an honor to read the heartfelt eulogy written by their father. In closing, you would like to read a portion of what Patrick wrote on his GoFundMe page. Quote, a lot of people have said they can't imagine and they're right. There's absolutely nothing that can prepare you. The shocking pain is excruciating and relentless. I'm constantly reminded of them and with the little sleep I get, I dream about them on repeat. Any parent knows. It's impossible to understand how much you will love your kids until you have them. The same goes for understanding the devastation of losing them.

Starting point is 00:22:11 Cora, Dawson, and Callan were the essence of my life, and I'm completely lost without them.

The Misery Machine - The Case of Lindsay Clancy

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