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· collected 2026-08-20 · by Neal Riley, Aaron Parseghian, Matt Schooley
Story summary
A Massachusetts mother, Lindsay Clancy, is on trial for allegedly murdering her three young children, Cora (5), Dawson (3), and Callan (8 months). Prosecutors claim that Clancy planned the murders and faked a suicide attempt afterwards. The defense, however, argues that Clancy should not be held criminally responsible due to her mental state at the time of the killings. They cite her diagnosis with bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis, which they say caused extreme mood swings, delusions, and confusion.
Clancy's mother, Paula Musgrove, testified that her daughter had expressed thoughts of harming the children and felt overwhelmed by medication for postpartum depression. A psychologist, Dr. Paul Zeizel, met with Clancy in the hospital after the killings and reported that she heard a male voice ordering her to kill her children.
The trial has seen 15 days of testimony so far, with the defense calling several witnesses, including Clancy's mother and a forensic psychologist. The prosecution has presented evidence that Clancy planned the murders and faked a suicide attempt. Closing arguments are expected early next week. If convicted, Clancy faces life in prison without parole.
Written for “Lindsay Clancy Murder Trial” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 5 other(s) covering the same event.
continued Wednesday in Massachusetts, though testimony for the day ended earlier than expected.
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testimony → continue → day
The defense is now expected to call one more witness Thursday before potentially resting its case and giving the prosecution an opportunity to call rebuttal witnesses.
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defense → expect → witnesses
A forensic psychologist who testified that Clancy said she heard a voice ordering her to kill her children completed his cross-examination to start the day.
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voice → testify → day
Then the judge later ruled that a TikTok user who previously worked at McLean Hospital will not be allowed to testify in front of the jury.
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who → rule → jury
Another full day of testimony was expected in Plymouth Superior Court.
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day → expect → Court
But after the lunch break, Judge William Sullivan told jurors that they were dismissed for the day "due to an unforeseen circumstance."
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they → tell → circumstance
Dr. Paul Zeizel finished his testimony earlier in the day.
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Zeizel → finish → day
Then before lunch recess, Emily Thorndike, a former McLean Hospital employee, was questioned without the jury present.
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jury → question → recess
Court was expected to resume around 2:15 p.m., but Judge Sullivan went to sidebar, and then told jurors they would be going home and court will resume at 9 a.m. on Thursday.
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court → expect → Thursday
"This is not something we saw coming.
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we → see → ?
But you're not to speculate about what it is, you're not to hold it against either side.
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you → speculate → side
It's just something that we have to deal with," Sullivan said, adding that the proceedings are still on schedule.
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proceedings → have → schedule
TikTok user can't testify, judge rules
Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham have been questioning witnesses throughout the trial, while Kevin Reddington is handling the case for the defense.
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Reddington → testify → defense
Without the jury present during the lunch recess, Judge Sullivan heard arguments about the potential testimony from
.
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Sullivan → hear → testimony
Thorndike worked at McLean Hospital, but not while Clancy received treatment there starting New Year's Day 2023.Thorndike took issue with how the prosecution described the Belmont, Massachusetts, mental health facility while Patrick Clancy was on the stand.
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Clancy → work → stand
She made a TikTok about her experience working in McLean from 2014 to 2021 that was widely viewed, and prompted Reddington to ask Judge Sullivan to let him call her as a witness.
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him → make → witness
"I felt what was discussed in court was not aligned with what my experience was.
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experience → feel → court
I noted several things," Thorndike said without the jury present, adding that she felt some of the prosecution's questions were misleading about staffing, especially around a holiday weekend.
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some → note → weekend
Reddington tried unsuccessfully to get in contact with Thorndike after seeing the video, and eventually sent his private investigator to her house to speak to her.
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Reddington → try → her
The prosecution argued that Thorndike should not be allowed to testify because she did not work at McLean when Clancy was there, and that records should speak for themselves.
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records → argue → themselves
The judge said after hearing arguments that while he found Thorndike credible, he will not allow her to testify.
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her → say → arguments
Judge Sullivan said there is limited materiality in what she could testify to, and limited value to the testimony.
uncertain
she → say → testimony
He said the defense can submit records about staffing from the week before Clancy was there in addition to the week she was there so that jurors can compare.
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jurors → say → week
Dr. Zeizel completes testimony
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Zeizel → complete → testimony
Dr. Paul Zeizel was one of several witnesses who testified for the defense on Tuesday.
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who → testify → Tuesday
There were some tense moments as Zeizel completed his testimony.
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Zeizel → be → testimony
He described Clancy as "extremely well-regarded and well-liked" in her unit at Tewksbury State Hospital, where she remains following the children's deaths.
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she → describe → deaths
"Lindsay Clancy has bad days and worse days," Zeizel said.
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Zeizel → have → days
"She does speak about her children.
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She → speak → children
She really loved them, and misses them, and thinks of them every single day almost every moment of the day."
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She → love → day
Buckingham attempted to show how close of a relationship Zeizel has with Clancy, attempting to show it could impact what he says about her.
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he → attempt → her
The prosecutor asked Zeizel how many defendants he has spent 35 hours evaluating.
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he → ask → hours
He said only one other.
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He → say → other
She asked how many others he has "cared deeply for."
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he → ask → others
He again said only one.
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He → say → one
"How many defendants have you given press conferences about?" Buckingham asked.
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Buckingham → give → conferences
Zeizel said none.
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Zeizel → say → none
Buckingham also noted that Clancy continually refers to the deaths of her children as "my tragedy."
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Clancy → note → tragedy
Zeizel answered that it is "just one of the things that she'll say."
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she → answer → that
At the end of Zeizel's testimony, Buckingham asked him if at Tewksbury State Hospital there is concern for Clancy attempting suicide.
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Clancy → ask → suicide
…and 32 more, not listed.
