• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Husband of woman who killed their three children explains why he doesn’t blame her

Home> News> Crime

Published 09:32 16 Oct 2024 GMT+1

Husband of woman who killed their three children explains why he doesn’t blame her

Patrick Clancy discussed his wife Lindsay's mental health struggles in the weeks before their children's deaths

Emily Brown

Emily Brown

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse and suicide which some readers may find distressing.

The husband of a woman who killed their three children before attempting to take her own life has explained why he doesn't blame her for what happened.

Patrick's discovery

Patrick Clancy, from Duxbury, Massachusetts, had been running errands and picking up takeout before he returned home to find his wife, Lindsay, barely conscious in their backyard in January 2023.

Advert

Lindsay told Patrick she'd 'tried to kill' herself, and when he asked her where the children were, she said: "In the basement."

In a 911 recording from that day, Patrick could be heard 'screaming in agony and shock' as he found his three children; Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months, with exercise bands tied around their necks.

Patrick Clancy found his wife Lindsay on the ground outside the home (YouTube/Law&Crime Network)
Patrick Clancy found his wife Lindsay on the ground outside the home (YouTube/Law&Crime Network)

Lindsay's state of mind

Lindsay has since been arrested and charged with two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation, and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Advert

She has pleaded not guilty, and in a new interview with The New Yorker, Patrick explained why he does not believe he 'married a monster'.

The dad opened up about how Lindsay, who had worked as a labor-and-delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, was struggling with her mental health in the weeks prior to their children's deaths.

Lindsay hadn't been diagnosed with postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis - a condition which has been linked to infanticide - but she had mentioned 'a touch of postpartum anxiety' in a note on her iPhone days before the killings.

She had been diagnosed by a local psychiatrist with having generalized anxiety disorder and was prescribed Zoloft, according to The New Yorker.

Advert

Lindsay has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her (WCVB Channel 5 Boston)
Lindsay has pleaded not guilty to the charges against her (WCVB Channel 5 Boston)

When the Zoloft caused insomnia, she received other prescriptions to help her sleep.

Patrick expressed belief Lindsay's sessions with her therapist were too limited to medication management, though in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, no other therapists were immediately available.

Over time, Lindsay stopped socializing and lost her appetite, though Patrick claimed none of the experts Lindsay spoke to ever warned him, or her, as far as he's aware, that she may have postpartum psychosis.

Advert

“I never even heard the term until after the kids died,” he said.

The turning point

Lindsay told Patrick about having 'thoughts of wanting to die', and she spent a few days in a psychiatric institution before leaving with another prescription.

Later that same month, she strangled her three children and jumped out of her bedroom window, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down.

Advert

Having watched Lindsay in the weeks prior to their children's deaths, Patrick requested on a GoFundMe page that people join him in forgiving his wife, saying: “The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace.”

Lindsay suffered with anxiety prior to the killings (YouTube/Law&Crime Network)
Lindsay suffered with anxiety prior to the killings (YouTube/Law&Crime Network)

Patrick's view

Speaking to The New Yorker, Patrick added: “I wasn’t married to a monster—I was married to someone who got sick."

Advert

Lindsay's case is ongoing, with prosecutors pointing to evidence such as searches of 'ways to kill' which may suggest Lindsay was aware of her actions than she has claimed.

Patrick still believes 'it wasn’t her making those decisions', but with the case ongoing, he added: “I don’t know. I don’t know who to believe, but I don’t think it matters really.”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues or want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.

Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Law&Crime Network

Topics: Mental Health, Crime, US News, Parenting

Emily Brown
Emily Brown

Emily Brown is UNILAD Editorial Lead at LADbible Group. She first began delivering news when she was just 11 years old - with a paper route - before graduating with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University. Emily joined UNILAD in 2018 to cover breaking news, trending stories and longer form features. She went on to become Community Desk Lead, commissioning and writing human interest stories from across the globe, before moving to the role of Editorial Lead. Emily now works alongside the UNILAD Editor to ensure the page delivers accurate, interesting and high quality content.

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

3 hours ago
4 hours ago
  • 3 hours ago

    Elon Musk's ex-wife reveals one reason being married to him 'sucked'

    Justine Wilson was married to Elon Musk from 2000 to 2008 and did not mince her words as she opened up about their relationship

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Scientists reveal biggest great white shark ever recorded in Atlantic has resurfaced in major US tourist hotspot

    It's not the biggest great white shark in the ocean, however

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Scientists reveal what the length of your fingers really says about you and it might be surprising

    An in-depth analysis of more than 5,000 people across 12 countries indicates that your hand could well determine your fitness and more

    News
  • 4 hours ago

    Plane passenger almost fined $800 after being stopped by TSA over easy mistake

    The passenger explained her travel nightmare in a video that has since gone viral on TikTok

    News
  • Husband of woman who killed their three kids reveals the questions he asked her every morning to check her mental health
  • Mom speaks out after her three daughters were found dead following visit with their dad
  • Heartbreaking update in case of missing three sisters last seen with their father
  • Woman who murdered her two children explains why she will represent herself in trial for husband's death