Lindsay Clancy — 20 August 2026

Frame

This is a signed reconstruction of the public court record from day 17 of testimony in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, Thursday 20 August 2026, Plymouth Superior Court.

What the record shows

Day 17 had a short day with just one witness.¹

Sheila Cavanaugh, a board-certified chaplain at Brigham and Women's Hospital for seven years, testified. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington called her after 10 a.m.¹

Cavanaugh testified she met with Lindsay Clancy 14 times while Clancy was hospitalized at Brigham and Women's.² Their first conversation took place 31 January 2023, after Clancy had been extubated—a week after she strangled her children.¹²

Cavanaugh told jurors Clancy confided that when she killed the children, she was hearing a male voice in her head that was "persistent" and "told her if she did not follow the command neither she nor her children would be safe."²

Cavanaugh testified Clancy believed she had saved the children.²

Cavanaugh was the third witness to testify at Clancy's trial that she was told by Clancy, after the slayings, that a male voice in her head told her to kill the children.²

The jury was sent home for the day before lunch. As testimony neared an end, the judge and attorneys began talking about jury instructions.¹

More than 400 people dressed in pink gathered outside Plymouth Superior Court before the day's proceedings. Many secured seats in a packed courtroom.³

Judge Sullivan told jurors at the start of the day that Thursday was expected to be shorter. The jury was sent home just after 10:30 a.m.⁴

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington was nearing the end of his case. He anticipated calling Dr. Phillip Resnick as his final witness via Zoom on Friday. Resnick was a key witness in the trial of Andrea Yates, who was found not guilty by reason of insanity after killing her five children in her Texas home in 2001. Resnick testified that Yates suffered from severe postpartum psychosis.⁴

The prosecution was expected to call three rebuttal witnesses. Closing arguments were expected early next week.⁴

Contested

Whether Clancy's reported belief that she "saved" the children by killing them corroborates the psychosis defense or reflects post-hoc rationalization.

Whether the chaplain's account of Clancy's voices claim, seven days after the killings, reliably reflects Clancy's state of mind at the time of the slayings.

Limits

No official transcript claimed. Press accounts: Patriot Ledger (staff),¹ Boston Globe (Murphy, Fonseca),²³ CBS Boston (staff).⁴

Day 17 label per all sources.¹²⁴

Cavanaugh was on the stand for about 20 minutes.⁴

Short day. Jury sent home before lunch.

No verdict. Trial ongoing.

Sources

Footnotes

1. Patriot Ledger, 20 Aug 2026 (updated 21 Aug 8:07 AM ET), "Lindsay Clancy murder trial day 17: What she told hospital chaplain": https://www.patriotledger.com/story/news/courts/2026/08/20/lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-day-17-of-testimony-live--live/91382872007/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶

2. Shelley Murphy and Camilo Fonseca, Boston Globe, 20 Aug 2026, "Lindsay Clancy trial: Chaplain says Clancy thought her children were safe after killings": https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/20/metro/lindsay-clancy-children-safe-voices/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

3. Boston Globe, 20 Aug 2026, "Lindsay Clancy trial Day 17: Supporters rally outside court": https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/08/20/metro/lindsay-clancy-trial-live-updates/ ↩ ↩²

4. CBS Boston, 20 Aug 2026, "Lindsay Clancy murder trial closing arguments expected early next week as testimony winds down": https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/lindsay-clancy-trial-watch-live-day-17/ ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶