Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial resumed Tuesday in Massachusetts with a 15th day of testimony. You can watch the trial live on CBS News Boston in the embedded video or on YouTube when court is in session. More defense witnesses will testify, a day after the prosecution rested its case after calling 72 witnesses at Plymouth Superior Court. One of the first people to testify for the defense was Clancy’s mother, Paula Musgrove. The children’s other grandmother, Patrick Clancy’s mother, took the stand Tuesday for the defense. According to Judge William Sullivan, a full day of testimony is planned. Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham are handling the prosecution’s questioning, while Kevin Reddington is Clancy’s defense attorney. Defense calls psychiatrist The prosecution objected to witness Dr. Donald Condie, saying it was unclear whether what he was going to testify was different from a sworn statement. After arguments without the jury present, Judge Sullivan ruled that he would allow the testimony. A short time later, Condie took the stand with the jury present. He is trained in psychiatry at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center through Harvard University. He is a clinical and forensic psychiatrist. Condie said he has spent a lot of time treating people in the state system with psychotic disorders and mood disorders. In Clancy’s case, Condie reviewed the records of Rebecca Jollotta and Jennifer Tufts, psychiatrists who worked with Clancy on his mental health issues, along with records from Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Jollotta and Tufts testified for the prosecution earlier in the trial. “They’re kind of sparse. There are a lot of check boxes in the records, but not a lot of sentences describing what was done during the sessions,” Condie said of the Jollotta and Tufts records. Condie spoke about the struggles Clancy was having in late 2022. “She talked about things like dizziness, feeling sedated in the morning if she got any sleep. These are symptoms that people experiencing postpartum depression frequently complain about. She continued to complain about anxiety,” Condie said, adding, “It’s a very unpleasant experience.” According to Condie, “at times he reported hearing a voice.” Patrick Clancy’s mother Susan testifies The first witness called by the defense Tuesday was Susan Clancy, Patrick Clancy’s mother and Lindsay Clancy’s former mother-in-law. Susan Clancy said she had a very good relationship with her former daughter-in-law. “She was very loving, very loving. She was a wonderful mother,” Susan Clancy said. “She loved her children, all of them. Very, very much.” He said Lindsay Clancy reached out in November to tell him she was suffering from insomnia and was very anxious and sad. Susan Clancy, a nurse, reached out to colleagues who were running a program to help postpartum mothers. “Did you find that Lindsay was interested at all times in trying to get better and seeing the doctors?” Reddington asked. “A lot of it is like that,” said Susan Clancy. “She was begging for help.” Susan Clancy testifies at the trial of her former daughter-in-law Lindsay Clancy. CBS Boston Under cross-examination, Susan Clancy said she offered to help with the children and take them overnight while Lindsay was struggling, but the family decided it was best for them to stay in their own beds. She testified that she also frequently texted Lindsay about the medications she was taking. “There were a lot of medications,” Susan Clancy said. “He seemed confused.” Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham questioned Susan Clancy about a Christmas Day breakfast, followed by a visit to church. Clancy responded that he was an active member of the Catholic church. “Are you aware that murder is considered a mortal sin?” Buckingham asked. Judge Sullivan ordered the question struck from the record. Lindsay Clancy Trial Clancy, 36, is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of her three children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan, at her Duxbury home on Jan. 24, 2023. Clancy has pleaded not guilty but admits to killing her children. Defense attorney Reddington said she should not be held criminally responsible because she was overmedicated and suffering from postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors said Clancy planned the murders before faking a suicide attempt that left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair. If Clancy is convicted of first-degree murder, she faces life in prison without parole. If the jury finds that she was not criminally responsible for her children’s deaths, she will be sent to a state psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts. If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or in a suicidal crisis, you can contact 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here. For more information about resources and support for mental health care, you can contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org. More from CBS News at:
