Lindsay Clancy’s attorney acknowledges the tragic actions that led to the deaths of her children but contends she should not face criminal charges due to her mental illness.
PLYMOUTH, Massachusetts — Editor’s Note: This article contains material regarding suicide. For those in need of support, the U.S. national suicide and crisis lifeline can be reached by calling or texting 988. An online chat is also accessible at 988lifeline.org.
A sea of pink-clad supporters rallied together on Thursday, gathering outside the courthouse where Lindsay Clancy is currently on trial for the deaths of her three children.
Among the 300 individuals, predominantly women but accompanied by some men, many expressed a deep connection to Clancy’s story. They aimed to spotlight deficiencies in the mental health care system concerning women. Clancy’s attorneys maintain that while she did commit the acts, her mental state at the time exempts her from criminal accountability.
The trial, which is being shared through livestreams, has shone a public light on postpartum psychosis, a rare yet severe mental disorder that Clancy’s legal team argues afflicted her. This condition is often triggered by the stress, lack of sleep, and hormonal upheaval following childbirth. After the devastating incident, Clancy attempted suicide by leaping from a second-story window, resulting in paralysis from the waist down.
Prosecutors say the former labor and delivery nurse planned the Jan. 24, 2023, killings and contrived to get her husband out of the house by sending him to pick up medicine for one of their children and dinner for the family. They have also questioned the seriousness of her suicide attempt.
The rally Thursday, Aug. 20 was the first time during the nearly monthlong trial that supporters have come out in such large numbers.
“Women are being dismissed, neglected and ignored when we speak up,” said April Vincent, a 52-year-old paralegal from Providence, Rhode Island. “We’re scared because nobody takes us seriously. Nobody wants to hear us, and really, we just need to be heard. I’ve been dismissed plenty of times.”
The women, some wearing shirts with messages including “Peace For Lindsay” and “Justice For Lindsay,” stood silently for more than an hour ahead of Thursday’s proceedings. They broke into applause at the sight of Clancy’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington.
Toward the end of their rally, supporters formed a circle, said the Lord’s Prayer, held up their arms and formed hearts with their hands. Some held flags from different countries to show the support for Clancy was global.
Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the deaths of Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy, who ranged from 8 months to 5 years old. Researchers estimate that postpartum psychosis — which is more serious and less common than postpartum depression — afflicts 1 to 2 per 1,000 women after delivery.
Jeanne Zaborski, a 72-year-old retired nurse from Rockland, Massachusetts, said she hopes the cases raise awareness about postpartum health. She and many others at the rally said they had been following the trial almost daily.
“It’s very sad,” Zaborski said. “I am a mother. I am a grandmother. I have a sister who had problems after birth, and it’s just very sad. I hope Lindsay gets the care she needs and deserves and other women will come together like we did today.”
Rally organizer Renee Kimball implored the crowd to trust that Reddington “has Lindsay’s fight.”
“It’s important that we just be still, have a moment of silence and know that God is working through us for Lindsay and for the rest of the world that are going through similar things she is going through,” Kimball said.
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