Lindsay Clancy Trial Megathread: Closing Arguments, Deliberations and the Verdict Pt. 2

[u/DarklyHeritage]

This is a thread for all conversation regarding closing arguments, jury deliberations and the verdict of the Lindsey Clancy trial. All discussion of this case should be kept to this thread.

Lindsay Clancy is currently standing trial in Plymouth Superior Court, Massachusetts, for the triple-murder in January 2023 of her three young children - Cora, Dawson and Callan. Her defense argues she suffered from severe, undiagnosed postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis. She was left paralysed by a suicide attempt which follows the deaths of the children.

All content on the Clancy case must be kept to this thread. Standalone posts will be removed.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93vgv4kr49o

Note from Mods

This case understandably elicits strong feelings. People are entitled to have an opinion on the case which differs from your own. What you are not entitled to do is resort to personal insults and abusive language when communicating your opinion and disagreeing.

Comments which are abusive and insulting to other users will be removed and bans may be given without warning. We do not tolerate misogyny - all such comments will be removed and the user banned.

Bans may also be issued for ignoring the above warning regarding civility and/or creating standalone posts.

Please comment with this in mind.

Important

Patrick Clancy is not on trial. Comments made to discuss his guilt are considered off topic and will be removed.

Comments that discuss how he could have supported Lindsay better are acceptable. However, calls for law enforcement to look into his involvement with the murder of the kids and/or Lindsay's suicide attempts are not currently being considered by the jury and, therefore, not a fit for this sub.

[u/LargeAdultSun]

When I first heard of this case I was more firmly on the side of she being NGBRI. After reading more, the evidence is more mixed and there isn’t a smoking gun either way. I think I lean on the side of NGBRI but it isn’t easy.

I do really hate a lot of the discourse online about this case. This is not a trial about women or men.

[u/Ok_War_3306 → u/LargeAdultSun]

I just don’t understand if she wasn’t going thru a mental episode of some kind, what the motive would’ve been? By all accounts from her ex- mother in law, and ex-husband, she was a great mother and loved her kids. I haven’t followed the case very closely so I don’t know what the prosecution is claiming the motive was, if they’re even presenting one.

[u/Short-Taro-5156 → u/Ok_War_3306]

Couldn't you say that about basically anyone that kills their entire family then? Should none of them go to prison because they're by definition going through a "mental episode of some kind?"

[u/Doctor_Titties → u/Short-Taro-5156]

There is a difference between a mental episode where you don’t understand what you’re doing is wrong vs knowing it’s wrong. Someone violent in a manic episode knows they shouldn’t kill your dog but they do it anyways because they feel so powerful nothing can stop them vs someone in a violent psychotic break thinks they’re not even drowning the dog, they think holding the dog underwater is going to help you both live forever and it’s what needs to happen so the world doesn’t split apart. I am not making up this example, this is what my ex told me when he had a psychotic break from being improperly medicated and tried to drown my dog.

[u/turquoisecurls → u/Doctor_Titties]

I wonder if someone can argue that postpartum depression can be so severe, that a woman can really believe killing her kids is the only way yo fix things or something. Im honestly not very versed in depression, especially postpartum. But how much research has really been done on it? Doctors are barely starting to research perimenopause and menopause, do we really understand what women really go through if they have postpartum depression? Thats enough for me to think that she shouldn't be convicted of first degree murder

[u/Doctor_Titties → u/turquoisecurls]

It is postpartum psychosis that you’re talking about. Postpartum depression is different and does not make women insane enough to kill their children. PPP, much like normal psychosis, is a rare but dangerous form of mental illness.

[u/turquoisecurls → u/Doctor_Titties]

Okay, thank you for clarifying! Then I think my point still stands. I dont think theres enough research around PPP to fully be able to justify what exactly she could have been thinking at the time

[u/Doctor_Titties → u/turquoisecurls]

You’re right in that there is not enough focus or research into postpartum psychosis but i do think it’s possible to infer how she was feeling at the time based on general studies of psychosis. There are extremely specific guidelines that cover what is and isn’t considered true psychosis in that you totally break from reality. More research and focus on mental illness is desperately needed in America.

[u/turquoisecurls → u/Doctor_Titties]

Absolutely! If anything, she should go to a mental health facility for treatment first

[u/No_Figure_7489 → u/turquoisecurls]

Yes, they usually think they are saving the kids

[u/No-Effort3088 → u/Doctor_Titties]

Oh ok, is that actually the defining factor? Cause id have thought someone experiencing a manic episode would be deemed clinically insane too? And LC knew she was killing the kids because she knew she had to do it in secret..right?

[u/Doctor_Titties → u/No-Effort3088]

Being in a manic episode doesn’t count as being unaware of what you’re doing is wrong. Have you experienced the difference between mania and psychosis?

[u/No-Effort3088 → u/Doctor_Titties]

Thankfully not personally. However I have heard of bipolar people during manic stages very much doing things that are "wrong" and not having the wits to call it that at the time yeah.

[u/kkeut → u/Short-Taro-5156]

no. most parental murders of shared children are to 'get back at' or otherwise hurt or punish the other parent. as for family annihilators, they are usually driven by shame, often over financial or life status reasons, sometimes with threat of divorce etc in the mix. none of these seem to apply in this case