Testimony in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial in Massachusetts came to an end Tuesday afternoon as prosecutors were ready to call their final rebuttal witness. You can watch the trial live on CBS News Boston in the embedded video or on YouTube when court is in session. Kirk Heilbrun, a forensic psychologist for the prosecution, returned to the stand a day after his testimony was interrupted when he began talking about Clancy’s Catholic religion. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked for a mistrial. Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan denied it, but reprimanded the prosecution for the testimony. Reddington questioned Heilbrun on Tuesday after the psychologist said that, in his opinion, Clancy was criminally responsible for the murder of his three children. Forensic psychologist Dr. Kirk Heilbrun in Plymouth Superior Court on August 25, 2026. Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger/Pool Heilbrun finished his testimony at 1 p.m., and prosecutors will call their final witness when court resumes at 2 p.m. After the final witness testifies, all sides will discuss the next steps of the trial. Closing arguments could be held as early as Wednesday. Cross-examination of Heilbrun Reddington began his testimony by getting Heilbrun to agree that it would have been better to interview Clancy sooner than three years after the murders. She read the psychologist’s extensive resume, but noted that he had never written about postpartum psychosis. Reddington asked him if he agreed that Clancy was amazing at taking care of his children. “I would describe her as a very good mother,” Heilbrun said. Reddington asked if Clancy was a “happy woman” before her psychiatrist Jennifer Tufts prescribed her medication. “In September, I was eager to get back to work,” Heilburn said. “However, he had not yet started taking the medications Dr. Tufts had prescribed.” Reddington and Heilburn argued over why Clancy was not admitted to a program at a Rhode Island hospital for postpartum mothers. Reddington said it was because the hospital said she was overmedicated, while Heilburn said it wasn’t clear her struggles were postpartum-related. “Did you really read those records?” Reddington asked. “Yes, I did,” Heilburn said. Reddington put his hands on Clancy’s shoulders as he talked about his struggle to find the right support. “Are you trying to tell the jury that you were avoiding help?” Reddington asked. He also asked Heilburn about Patrick Clancy’s testimony that Lindsay said he attempted suicide when he found her on the floor. “If I suggest to you, sir, that if you listen to the 911 tape regarding Clancy interacting with her, she could only make grunting noises, would that surprise you?” “I would be surprised, yes,” Heilburn said. During redirected questioning, prosecutor Jennifer Sprague asked if it was true that Clancy never told any doctor that he had thoughts of harming his children. “That’s my recollection, that she didn’t share that information with any medical provider,” Heilburn said. Heilbrun also told Sprague that someone experiencing psychosis with command hallucinations can still know the difference between right and wrong. Testimony of Kirk Heilbrun Continuing his testimony Tuesday, Heilbrun said Clancy told him there was no decision-making involved in the murders and that she was simply responding to a voice. But he said “there are a lot of decisions that have to be made to pull off a murder like this in 18 to 20 minutes,” such as location and what to tell the children. He said that in his clinical opinion, Clancy is criminally responsible for killing his children. “She retained an awareness of the illegality of killing others, including killing her children,” Heilbrun said. “Her moral awareness of the wrongfulness of the murder was influenced by her strong desire to die and, if she was dead, not to leave her children behind.” Reddington says the judge made a “good effort” with the jury instructions. Speaking to reporters outside court Tuesday morning, Reddington says he believes Judge Sullivan made a “good effort” in telling the jury to ignore the religious testimony. Sullivan told jurors that Heilbrun’s comments about Clancy’s Catholic faith were “immaterial, irrelevant and should be ignored” before sending them home for the day. “The judge made his decision and instructed the jury,” Reddington said. “I think it’s pretty evident that these jurors are dedicated, they will listen to your instructions, and I have no doubt that we will finish the case today.” Reddington also lashed out at a commenter who asked him a question outside of court, calling him a “biased weasel.” Dawson and 8-month-old Callan at their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, on Jan. 24, 2023. She admitted to the murders, but her attorney said she should not be held criminally responsible because she was overmedicated and suffering from postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors said Clancy planned the murders. If convicted of first-degree murder, she faces life in prison without parole. If the jury finds that Clancy was not criminally responsible, she will be sent to a state psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts. Lindsay Clancy in Plymouth Superior Court on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger/Pool If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or in a suicidal crisis, you can contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here. For more information on mental health care resources and support, the National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine You can reach us Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern Time at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or by email at info@nami.org. More from CBS News at:
