Trial Enters Final Stages
The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three young children, is entering its final phase, with closing arguments expected next week. The defense officially rested last week, and after prosecutors finish their rebuttal testimony, both sides will present their closing arguments before the case goes to the jury for deliberation.
Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her 5-year-old daughter Cora and sons Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months. The facts of the case are largely undisputed: in January 2023, Clancy strangled her children with rubber exercise cords and then attempted suicide by jumping from a second-story window, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Her ex-husband testified on her behalf, saying Clancy admitted to the killings.
The central question for the jury is whether Clancy was under the influence of postpartum psychosis at the time and therefore not criminally responsible, as the defense argues, or whether she was able to tell right from wrong and is guilty of first-degree premeditated murder, as prosecutors contend. If convicted, she faces life in prison without parole; if found not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.
Evidence and Courtroom Testimony
During the trial, jurors reviewed excerpts from Clancy's Notes app entries, which reportedly expressed guilt, hopelessness, and self-doubt. Evidence also showed that she had conducted online searches for psychosis, hallucinations, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, insomnia, postpartum depression, and suicide methods. Clancy's mother testified that her daughter disclosed having thoughts of harming her children in December 2022.
Social Media Resonance
The case has struck a chord online, particularly among mothers who say they recognize their own postpartum struggles in Clancy's private writings. Elizabeth Cadeaux, a stay-at-home mother from Brooklyn, New York, posted a tearful TikTok video titled "I am Lindsay Clancy," in which she said hearing Clancy's notes read aloud prompted her to speak publicly about her own experience with postpartum depression. In a phone interview with Newsweek, Cadeaux said, "Those notes that I heard written by her felt very familiar to me...they sounded like things I had written myself." She added, "I feel so guilty for spending all my family's money when I'm not working right now. I wish I could spend more time with my child. I feel overwhelmed when he cries. The similarities were just so striking to me."
Mental health advocates say the intense national attention has highlighted widespread confusion about the differences between normal postpartum adjustment, postpartum depression, and the rarer postpartum psychosis. Cadeaux noted, "The postpartum period happens to each and every woman or birthing parent after a baby is born. But then there are different layers to it. There's postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum psychosis. People are really conflating postpartum with all of these things." Advocates emphasize that these conditions exist on a spectrum and require different interventions.
Courthouse Support
Outside the courthouse, hundreds of women gathered wearing shirts with slogans like "Believe," "She Needed Help," and "Peace for Lindsay." The gathering was organized by Renee Kimball of Maine.
Political Divide on the Right
The case has also sparked a political division on the right, particularly around the rhetoric of some male commentators. Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire dismissed postpartum depression as women acting "selfish" and referred to Clancy as a "useless woman" who expected "pampering and coddling" to prevent her from killing her children. Sean Davis called women who pushed back "psychopaths" who need to be "institutionalized," while Jack Posobiec claimed there would be "Lindsay Clancy copycats" due to TikTok and radical feminist groups.
These comments drew rebukes from several conservatives. Ben Shapiro told an unnamed colleague to "stop being a moron," affirming that postpartum depression and psychosis are real. Meghan McCain criticized right-wing men's tone on fertility and pregnancy, saying "a lot of you sound so weird and mean." Tomi Lahren said murder is inexcusable but criticized men who have never experienced postpartum for conflating empathy with condoning murder. Abby Libby responded that Walsh's posts were dismissive of hormonal changes and extended to women who struggle postpartum. Chris Loesch accused Walsh of "click bait engagement farming." Alyssa Farah Griffin said the medical and mental health system failed Clancy and her children, while Jeremy Boreing wrote that Clancy deserves sympathy but also should receive the death penalty.
Perspectives
Defense: The defense argues that Clancy was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible for her actions.
Prosecution: Prosecutors contend that Clancy was able to tell right from wrong and is therefore criminally responsible for first-degree premeditated murder.
Right-wing commentators: Some commentators, like Matt Walsh, minimize postpartum mental health issues, while others, like Ben Shapiro and Tomi Lahren, affirm the reality of postpartum conditions and criticize the insensitive rhetoric.