Lindsay Clancy 'shakes and takes deep breaths' at the sight of ex-husband as he testifies in murder trial

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

Lindsay Clancy was seen 'shaking' and 'taking deep breaths' during her murder trial over the deaths of her three young children as her ex-husband took to the stand today.

In January 2023, Patrick Clancy was out of the house for less than an hour when he returned to find his wife, Lindsay, lying in their backyard in Duxbury, Massachusetts, after trying to take her own life.

He then discovered the lifeless bodies of their three children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months.

Lindsay, 35, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder, with her defence arguing she was overmedicated for mental health issues and was suffering from extreme portpartum psychosis.

Patrick took to the stand as a witness at Plymouth Superior Court on Monday (July 27), and was the first witness called to the stand, where he was asked about his relationship with Lindsay.

In emotional scenes, Lindsay was described by CourtTV editor Cathy Russon as 'shaking' and 'taking deep breaths' as he took to the stand.

As per CNN, he testified to the jury that Lindsay had 'intrusive thoughts' about hurting the children two weeks before their death.

“She described thoughts of hurting the kids or them having some sort of ailment,” he said.

In conversations which he claimed took place between November - December 2022, he claims his ex told him she didn't think she needed to be kept away, and did not have a specific plan to harm them.

“It was very confusing because a minute later, she was making them lunch or playing with them or getting ready for bed or whatever it was,” he claimed, saying he 'wasn't concerned' for the kids' safety, and Lindsay wasn't showing 'any intention' of hurting them.

Patrick claimed that Lindsay's 'big spiral' started when she started a new medication in December 2022.

"She started to lose a lot of weight, and she became very depressed. She was having a really hard time," he said.

He also testified that Lindsay had spent days in a psychiatric hospital, and went to Massachusetts General Hospital’s emergency department on December 31, 2022 due to the fact she was 'still talking about suicide'.

He said she was transferred to affiliated hospital McClean on January 1, 2023.

Prior to her ex-husbands testimony, during the opening statement, Lindsay was seen breaking down in tears as the prosecutor described her three children during the opening statements.

"Cora, she had just turned five, she was sweet, silly, smart, she loved sparkly dresses, wearing bows in her hair, she loved princesses and baby dolls," the prosecutor said.

"She even tried to convince her preschool teachers at the beginning that her name was Sophia because she loved the Disney character so very much."

Dawson was described as 'funny and full of energy, as Callan was described as a 'sweet little baby'.

It was then that Lindsay was seen shaking in her wheelchair and wiping her tears away, as prosecutor Shanan Buckingham continued: "We are here today because they are not."

She is in a wheelchair as a result of her failed suicide attempt after the alleged murders, in which she fell from a window after cutting her throat and wrists. She was left paralyzed from the waist down after the fall.

She has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder. However, if she is found guilty, she could face up to life in prison.

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

If you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.