Lindsay Clancy psychiatric nurse testifies about intrusive thoughts before killings

The high-profile Lindsay Clancy murder trial continues in Plymouth Superior Court as legal proceedings unfold in the case concerning the deaths of her three children: five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan. The trial centers heavily on the mental health treatment the Duxbury mother received in the weeks leading up to the tragedy, with medical professionals offering detailed testimony regarding her rapid succession of medication changes and reported psychological distress.

Testimony in Plymouth Superior Court provided a window into virtual consultations and electronic messages exchanged before the children died on Jan. 24, 2023. Nurse practitioner Rebecca Jollotta took the stand to recount her early interactions with Clancy, which began with a telehealth visit on Nov. 29, 2022. At that time, Clancy had been taking the antidepressant mirtazapine for four days to combat insomnia and mental health struggles. During the virtual session, Jollotta and Clancy agreed on a treatment plan to keep her on the prescription drug, noting no immediate psychotic symptoms or suicidal and homicidal ideation during the initial 30-minute appointment.

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Messages exchanged in the days following told a different story of escalating distress. On Nov. 30, Clancy contacted Jollotta asking if she could safely stop the medication after five days because her depression felt as though it was worsening. Jollotta noted that Clancy had endured a series of short medication trials since October 2022, encouraging her patient to persist while explaining that treatments often require several weeks to take full effect. By Dec. 1, however, Clancy messaged that she disliked how the drug made her feel and stated she could not stick with it, adding that she had begun experiencing intrusive thoughts she had never encountered before.

According to Jollotta’s courtroom testimony, she reassured Clancy that intrusive thoughts are common in postpartum depression and provided resources. Clancy continued to send messages expressing concern over side effects, describing horrible intrusive thoughts, a concerning emotional numbness, and feeling as though she was going to die without caring. Jollotta interpreted these expressions as indicators of depression rather than side effects or immediate suicidal intent.

The trial also featured testimony from Latiesha Dukes, a perinatal clinician from the South Shore Perinatal Mental Health Clinic, who had been tasked with developing a treatment plan and coping skills for Clancy's anxiety, insomnia, and passive suicidal ideation regarding thoughts of wanting to die or not being alive anymore. Dukes stated that Clancy possessed no actionable plan, which would have otherwise triggered a crisis response. By mid-December, discussions shifted toward partial hospitalization. Dukes recommended Women and Infants Hospital because it catered specifically to postpartum women and allowed infants to accompany their mothers, noting that Clancy later appeared more engaged, smiled, and enjoyed family time.

Massachusetts State Police Detective Daniel Lawlor also testified regarding the execution of search warrants and evidence collection, handling blood-stained items including a black tank top, a grey bra, and jeans belonging to Clancy. The defense questioned Detective Lawlor regarding a psychiatrist, Dr. Zeizel, and whether Clancy had been advised to report hearing voices. Following a sidebar and a brief recess, the line of questioning explored the defense theory that the psychiatrist instructed Clancy to tell her husband, Patrick Clancy, that she was hearing voices, while prosecutors countered that the detective had not heard such instructions directly.

Clancy has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder. Her defense team argues she bears no criminal responsibility due to severe postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings, maintaining she loved her children and intended to take her own life by jumping from a second-floor window after strangling them in the basement—an attempt that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Conversely, the prosecution argues that Clancy acted intentionally, rationally, and swiftly to accomplish a specific goal, asserting that mental illness alone does not absolve someone of legal guilt if they can appreciate the wrongfulness of their conduct.

Key Trial Figures and Mental Health Timeline

• Nov. 29, 2022: Nurse practitioner Rebecca Jollotta conducts an initial telehealth visit with Lindsay Clancy regarding mirtazapine treatment for insomnia and depression.
• Dec. 1, 2022: Clancy reports severe, unprecedented intrusive thoughts and emotional numbness via message.
• Dec. 12, 2022: Perinatal clinician Latiesha Dukes discusses partial hospitalization options with Clancy.
• Dec. 19, 2022: Clancy reports enjoying time with family and appears more engaged during clinical check-ins.
• Jan. 24, 2023: The three children are found dead, followed by Clancy's fall from a second-floor window.

Additional reporting and live coverage of the ongoing court proceedings continue to stream publicly as the jury hears arguments from both legal teams concerning the extent of Clancy's mental state and criminal culpability.