Notes on Lindsay Clancy’s cellphone paint a picture of a woman ‘going downhill’

Cellphone Notes Reveal Lindsay Clancy’s Descent Before Fatal Stranglings of Three Children

Earthguardiansonline.com – A series of personal writings discovered on Lindsay Clancy’s mobile device offer an intimate window into the mental state of the Massachusetts mother who killed her three young children in January 2023. These notes, which prosecutors presented during the ongoing triple-murder trial, paint a portrait of a woman who felt her life unraveling as prescription medications altered her ability to function as a parent.

A Mother’s Struggle Captured in Writing

The most significant note, created in late December 2022 and last modified on January 23, 2023—the day before the killings—contains a powerful declaration:

“Medication stole my motherhood and my life.”

In this same entry, Clancy reflected on her previous well-being, writing that she had been

“the healthiest, happiest mom”

before her mental health challenges intensified. She described a routine of morning workouts, meditation, and self-care designed to support her children. However, she traced her difficulties to

“a touch of post partum anxiety”

that eventually escalated.

The note captured Clancy’s sense of disconnection from her own body, suggesting that medications prescribed to help her were simultaneously causing harm. She documented how her youngest child, Callan, struggled with feeding and maintained a rigid nap schedule, creating additional stress for the exhausted mother.

Medication Changes and Growing Dependence

Clancy’s writings reveal a complex medication journey. After experiencing anxiety following Callan’s birth, she consulted a psychiatrist and began taking Zoloft. When she increased her dosage according to medical advice, she found herself unable to sleep at all.

“I couldn’t sleep a wink,”

she wrote in the January 23 note.

Her psychiatrist subsequently recommended discontinuing Zoloft and switching to Ativan and Benadryl for sleep assistance. According to Clancy’s own words, this transition marked a turning point.

“That’s when everything started going downhill,”

she recorded, noting that she had become

“dependent”

on the new medications to achieve rest.

This personal account aligns with testimony from medical professionals who appeared in court. Dr. Jennifer Tufts, Clancy’s psychiatrist, testified that she had prescribed Ativan for episodes of severe anxiety and had developed a plan in early November to gradually reduce Clancy’s benzodiazepine use due to dependency risks. However, by December, Tufts discovered that Clancy had begun taking additional medications prescribed by other healthcare providers.

Legal Arguments and Trial Evidence

Clancy, now 36, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder. She does not dispute that she strangled Cora, age five; Dawson, age three; and eight-month-old Callan in their Duxbury residence on January 24, 2023. Following the killings, she attempted to take her own life.

Her defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, maintains that Clancy should not face criminal punishment because she was experiencing postpartum psychosis at the time of the deaths. The prosecution counters that the killings were

“deliberate and meticulous”

and that Clancy was not in the

“throes of psychosis”

when she ended her children’s lives.

During Thursday’s court proceedings, a forensic cellphone analyst testified about extracting the writings from Clancy’s device. Reddington did not contest the authenticity of the notes or challenge their authorship during cross-examination.

Additional Notes Reveal Complex Emotions

Another entry, dated early November 2022, showed Clancy grappling with feelings of inadequacy as a mother.

“I feel not as connected with Cal now,”

she wrote.

“I think I sort of resent my other children because they prevent me from treating Cal like my first baby. And I know that’s not fair to them.”

The same note contained a list of personal affirmations that Clancy had written to herself:

“I will get through this. I will overcome postpartum anxiety and depression. I am a great mom. I love my kids.”

What Comes Next for Lindsay Clancy

If convicted, Clancy faces life imprisonment. However, should jurors determine that she cannot be held criminally responsible due to her mental condition, the court will initiate proceedings to commit her to a psychiatric facility.

The trial has brought maternal mental health concerns into public view, highlighting the challenges many mothers face during and after pregnancy. Clancy’s medical history shows she sought help from multiple providers and treatment centers in the months before the tragedy, including a multiday stay at a locked-ward facility in early January 2023. Her case underscores the complexity of distinguishing between severe mental illness and criminal responsibility in cases involving maternal harm to children.