Lindsay Clancy trial: Postpartum psychosis and the deaths of her three children

In Plymouth, Massachusetts, the trial of Lindsay Clancy, a mother accused of killing her three children, is underway. Eight months after the birth of her third child, Clancy's mental health reportedly deteriorated significantly. She experienced insomnia and intrusive thoughts of self-harm, leading her to seek treatment for postpartum mood disorders.

Despite being prescribed psychiatric medications and a subsequent stay in a psychiatric hospital, her condition did not improve. Nineteen days after her discharge, Clancy is accused of strangling her children, Cora, five; Dawson, three; and Callan, eight months, in their Duxbury home. Her attorney stated that on the day of the killings, she reported hearing voices telling her it was her last chance to kill the children so she could kill herself.

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She was screaming for help. She had insomnia. She was losing her appetite. She was very anxious and sad.

Prosecutors contend that Clancy, a former maternity nurse, meticulously planned the murders and is fully accountable. However, her defense attorney argues that she was experiencing postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation, and hormonal changes following childbirth. Family members testified about Clancy's declining mental state after her youngest son's birth, with her ex-mother-in-law describing her as "screaming for help" and suffering from insomnia, appetite loss, anxiety, and sadness.

Clancy, now 36, was paralyzed from a fall after the incident and attends the trial in a wheelchair. The jury heard opening statements on July 20, with the trial expected to present conflicting arguments regarding her guilt and mental state. While she has been found competent to stand trial, the proceedings will determine whether she serves a life sentence with or without parole, or in a psychiatric facility.

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This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself.