The jury couldn’t reach a verdict, and now Lindsay Clancy is back in a state psychiatric hospital, where she’s described a bleak daily life—little interest in food, hygiene, or even getting out of bed.
The 36-year-old mother, who allegedly strangled her three young children in January 2023 before attempting suicide, will remain at Tewksbury Hospital in Massachusetts after a stunning mistrial Friday. Her defense lawyer confirmed the move to reporters following a last-ditch appeal that was denied by the state’s Supreme Court.
According to court testimony from psychiatrist Dr. Avram Mack, Clancy’s routine at the facility is anything but active. “Mostly, she described, she stays in bed or on her own,” Mack told the courtroom in August.
He said she rarely interacts with other patients and only occasionally works with a therapist or physical therapist—though she “wasn’t very interested” in the physical therapy. She also described feeling “not interested in the food there” and having little appetite.
Mack added that Clancy struggles with personal care, noting that “showering is embarrassing” because she needs staff assistance. “She described feeling depressed, which she termed situational depression,” he testified. “She described feeling miserable, not wanting to be alive.”
Clancy now uses a wheelchair after her suicide attempt left her partially paralyzed. Visitors reportedly bring her food and drinks “on a not infrequent basis,” according to Mack’s testimony.
The mistrial came after one male juror reportedly held out, preventing a unanimous decision on whether Clancy was criminally responsible for the deaths of her children—Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months. Her defense argues she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was overmedicated at the time.
Prosecutors are now weighing whether to retry the case. Legal experts say a new trial is likely, though a plea deal for a lesser charge hasn’t been ruled out. For now, Clancy remains under the same murder charges in the same state hospital.
What happens next for a woman who, according to psychiatric testimony, says she “doesn’t want to be alive”?
