US mother on trial for killing her children was 'begging for help' before tragedy, her family testifies
Lindsay Clancy is on trial for the murder of her three children in Massachusetts, with her defense arguing she suffered from severe postpartum psychosis. Her family testified that she had been actively seeking medical help for her declining mental health in the months leading up to the tragedy.
Why it matters
The case highlights critical gaps in maternal mental health care and raises complex legal questions regarding criminal responsibility in cases of postpartum psychosis.
Lindsay Clancy struggled with her mental health for months before she killed her three children, her family has testified. ( AP: Amanda Sabga/The Boston Herald/Pool )
Link copied Share Share article In October 2022, Lindsay Clancy messaged her mother:
"Mom, will you please come up and stay with me for a bit? I'm really sick. Something is wrong."
Warning: This story contains details that may be distressing for some readers.
Ms Clancy was a former labour and delivery nurse known as a dedicated and loving mother to three children aged five and under.
But her mental health had begun to decline after the birth of her third son, Callan.
Despite repeatedly seeking help from medical professionals, she continued to report a poor mental state.
By December, she had confessed to her mother and then-husband that she had thoughts of harming her children.
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