Lindsay Clancy — 18 August 2026

Frame

This is a signed reconstruction of the public court record from day 15 of testimony in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, Tuesday 18 August 2026, Plymouth Superior Court.

What the record shows

Day 15 marked the second day of the defense case. The prosecution rested Monday 17 August after 71 witnesses.¹

Susan Clancy, Lindsay Clancy's former mother-in-law, testified. She knew Lindsay was "begging for help" for postpartum mental health issues in late 2022 and the family was concerned as she sought numerous doctors.²

Dr. Elizabeth Laposata, a forensic pathologist appearing by Zoom, testified as an expert witness. She explained Clancy's spinal injuries were consistent with a headfirst landing. She described "hesitation marks" on Clancy's wrists and neck as "a classic finding in suicide attempts" that caused "significant bloodshed." Prosecutors questioned the lack of visible head injuries immediately after the fall; Laposata said the trauma transferred to Clancy's vertebrae.²

Dr. Donald Condie, a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist, did not treat Clancy but reviewed her medical records at the request of her attorney. He testified a bipolar disorder diagnosis is "a very serious possibility that has to be considered," and that Clancy's suicidal ideation was reported "very, very frequently" in her medical records.²

Condie said Clancy made two separate calls to the ASPIRE crisis hotline in the month before the killings and checked into McLean Hospital for inpatient psychiatric treatment for five days. He testified Clancy never told healthcare providers she was hearing voices until after the killings, but that records indicated she was scared her children would be taken away by the state if her symptoms were severe.²

Dr. Paul Zeizel, a psychologist, was the final witness that day. He testified he was the first visitor allowed to see Clancy after the slayings, 11 days later, at Brigham and Women's Hospital after her lawyer obtained a court order. She was handcuffed to a bed in the intensive care unit with two state troopers standing guard outside her door.²

Zeizel testified Clancy immediately asked to call her husband. He handed her his cellphone. The call went unanswered and Clancy left a message.²

Two days later, during Zeizel's second visit, Clancy tried again. Patrick picked up and Zeizel listened on speaker as the couple spoke for the first time since she strangled the children.²

"She told Patrick that she loved him very much," Zeizel told jurors. "She said that she heard a male voice ordering her, telling her that she didn't have any choice, but she had to kill her children and then kill herself."²

Zeizel's account of Clancy's call to Patrick corroborates Patrick's testimony from the start of the trial. They are the only two witnesses, out of 79 who have testified so far, who told jurors Lindsay Clancy claimed she was hearing voices at the time of the slayings.²

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked Zeizel if he told Clancy to pretend she heard voices telling her to kill her children. "Absolutely not," Zeizel said. When pressed about why he let Clancy use his phone, Zeizel said, "I let her call her husband out of human compassion."²

Zeizel told jurors he reviewed all of Clancy's medical records and met with her about 60 times. He described her steady decline and worsening symptoms as doctors and nurse practitioners prescribed numerous medications between September 2022 and January 2023.²

"The medications were making things worse; they were not helping her," Zeizel said. Clancy went to the emergency room twice and called a suicide hotline twice around the holidays in late 2022. "She was worried about killing herself," said Zeizel, adding that "she was turned away."²

Zeizel told jurors Clancy had symptoms consistent with psychosis, including auditory hallucinations. Clancy reported to doctors she had "horrible thoughts," said Zeizel, adding that she believed "her thoughts were so loud that strangers could hear them." Zeizel said people with psychosis may have intermittent symptoms. "They are like waves at the beach," Zeizel said. "They come and they go."²

A tense moment came during cross-examination of Susan Clancy. Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham questioned her about attending Mass with her family, including Lindsay, on Christmas Day. Buckingham asked if Susan was an active member of the Catholic church. "Yes," Susan Clancy said. Buckingham then asked, "You're aware that murder is considered a mortal sin?" Judge William Sullivan immediately called a sidebar before Susan could answer. After a brief huddle with lawyers, Sullivan ordered the question stricken from the record and told jurors not to consider it.²

The trial resumed Wednesday 19 August.³

Contested

Whether Clancy was genuinely psychotic or fabricated the voice claim after the fact.

Whether Zeizel's decision to allow the phone call to Patrick influenced or coached Clancy's narrative.

Whether the bipolar diagnosis Condie identified as "a very serious possibility" was accurate.

Whether Clancy's failure to report voices to healthcare providers before the killings undermines the psychosis defense or reflects fear of losing custody.

Limits

No official transcript claimed. Press accounts: Boston Globe (Murphy, Fonseca),² NBC Boston (staff).³ Prosecution rest count: Boston Globe (Murphy, Cotter).¹

Day 15 label per NBC Boston.³

Susan Clancy is Patrick Clancy's mother, Lindsay Clancy's former mother-in-law.

Zeizel's testimony spans two court days. This piece covers 18 August only.

No verdict. Trial ongoing.

Sources

Footnotes

1. Shelley Murphy and Sean Cotter, Boston Globe, 17 Aug 2026, "Lindsay Clancy's mother, sister take stand": https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/17/metro/lindsay-clancy-mother-sister-testify-mental-health-decline/ ↩ ↩²

2. Shelley Murphy and Camilo Fonseca, Boston Globe, 18 Aug 2026, "Lindsay Clancy trial: She said she heard voices, psychologist tells jury": https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/18/metro/lindsay-clancy-said-that-she-heard-male-voice-ordering-herto-kill-her-children-psychologist-tells-jurors/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵

3. NBC Boston, 18 Aug 2026, "Lindsay Clancy trial Day 15 video, recap, updates from court Tue.": https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/lindsay-clancy-trial-day-15-live-stream-live-updates/3999460/ ↩ ↩² ↩³