PLYMOUTH, Mass. — Testimony in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy resumed Friday morning in Plymouth Superior Court, with the defense calling its final witness before resting its case.
Dr. Phillip Resnick, a forensic psychiatrist, appeared on the stand via Zoom. He has provided testimony in major cases including Jeffrey Dahmer, Casey Anthony, Andrea Yates, and Timothy McVeigh.
Resnick’s testimony is anticipated to support the defense’s claim that the Duxbury mother was suffering from postpartum psychosis and therefore was not criminally responsible for the January 2023 killings of her three children, Cora, Dawson, and Callan.
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Aug. 21, 2026, 3:56 p.m.
We are breaking for the weekend. Back Monday morning. @boston25 #lindsayclancy
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 2:50 p.m.
Dr Mack: #LindsayClancy told him that she heard the voice as soon as Patrick Clancy left the house for CVS and 3V restaurant. She denied locking the bedroom door. Said after she took pills, cut herself, she fell through the bedroom window. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 2:47 p.m.
Dr. Mack: #LindsayClancy described the voice as a male, laughing, saying you should kill the kids. It's your last chance so you can kill yourself. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 2:46 p.m.
Dr. Mack: #LindsayClancy's mental capacity was a continuation of what she had for months. She always had the capacity to control her behavior and conform her conduct. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 2:44 p.m.
Dr. Mack said, in his opinion #LindsayClancy retained the capacity for responsibility of her actions. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 2:43 p.m.
Dr. Mack: the killings were done methodically, one by one that was organized, intended to achieve a goal. Her suicide attempt was similar in that it contained as many methods as possible. @boston25 #lindsayclancy
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 2:31 p.m.
Dr. Mack: #LindsayClancy said she first took Dawson to basement, wrapped exercise band around his neck, and said Go to God as she was strangled him. Then repeated with Cora and Callan. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 2:27 p.m.
We are back in session at #lindsayclancy murder trial. @boston25 Dr. Mack is still on stand.
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 1:01 p.m.
We are taking our lunch break in #lindsayclancy trial. Back around 2pm @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 12:59 p.m.
Dr. Avram Mack: #Lindsayclancy's suicidality tells me she was suffering. it was part of a major depressive episode. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 12:57 p.m.
Dr. Avram Mack; #lindsayclancy did not present psychotic symptoms @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 12:55 p.m.
Dr. Avram Mack: onset of #LindsayClancys symptoms, were well outside postpartum period as described in DSM. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 12:50 p.m.
Dr. Avram Mack there was no evidence of bipolar with #lindsayclancy at time of the deaths of the children. @boston25 There was no mania or hypomania.
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 12:49 p.m.
Dr. Avram Mack: no reason why psychosis would inhibit a person from knowing right from wrong. @boston25 #lindsayclancy
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 12:39 p.m.
:Dr. Avram Mack: From '22 to '23, #LindsayClancy suffered a major depressive episode @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 12:28 p.m.
Dr. Avram Mack #LindsayClancy discussed situational depression. She asked about bipolar disorder. She wasnt convinced she had bipolar. She id'd stressors: remorse, estrangement from husband, physical injury. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 12:25 p.m.
Dr. Avram Mack: Current observation of #LindsayClancy. She described feeling miserable, situationally depressed. denied having a head injury @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 12:12 p.m.
Dr. Avram Mack: evaluated #LindsayClancy April 10-12 2026. "Generally she was friendly and cooperative." @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:55 a.m.
Prosecution is calling rebuttal witnesses now. Starting with Dr. Avram Mack, psychiatrist. @boston25 #LindsayClancy
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:52 a.m.
BREAKING: Reddington: "Your honor, Lindsay Clancy rests her case." #LindsayClancy @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:51 a.m.
Dr. Resnick is finished testifying after rapid fire cross examination from Prosecutor @boston25 #lindsayclancy
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:33 a.m.
Dr. Resnick said #LindsayClancy has not taken her own life because she is under constant suicide watch at Tewksbury State Hospital @boston25 Cross now of Dr. R.
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:31 a.m.
Dr. Resnick: #LindsayClancy was hearing a voice commanding her to engage in the killing behavior. She did not feel any sense of control. She felt she had to obey the instructions she ws receiving. it was a matter of following a command. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:26 a.m.
Dr.Resnick: #LindsayClancy believed if she took her own life, her children would be in terrible shape without her. She thought she'd be doing them a favor by having them go to heaven with her, rather than staying on earth without her doing the mothering. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:23 a.m.
Dr. Resnick: My opinion #LindsayClancy was, due to her mental disease, unable to conform her conduct to requirement of the law on the day she took the lives of her children. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:18 a.m.
Dr. Resnick "#LindsayClancy had delusion of influence." She felt her body was taken over by external force. She was in dream state, had no control over her body. Like she was a puppet and someone else was pulling the strings.@boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:17 a.m.
Dr. Resnick: #LindsayClancy had post partum onset, and was "clearly psychotic" on the day of the killings. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11:06 a.m.
Dr. Resnick: MMPI test of #LindsayClancy revealed there was no evidence that Lindsay was faking her psychiatric symptoms. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 11 a.m.
Dr. Resnick: Gov't did evaluation of #LindsayClancy 3 years after the killings. "I did my evaluation 4 months after the crime." @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 10:58 a.m.
Dr. Resnick: has provided testimony in major cases including Jeffrey Dahmer, Unabomber, Casey Anthony, Andrea Yates, Timothy McVeigh. Has testified for both gov't and defense in various cases. @boston25 #lindsayclancy
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 10:57 a.m.
Dr. Resnick: #LindsayClancy was matter of fact, still grieving. Nurses told me she was crying daily about the loss of her 3 children. She was medicated, fully cooperative. She gave me detailed account of her recollection of the critical event. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 10:55 a.m.
Dr. Resnick spent 3 hours interviewing #LindsayClancy at Tewksbury State Hospital May 2023. Also interviewed her parents. @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 10:54 a.m.
Dr. Resnick said he has been involved in 80 cases of filicide, the murder of children by a mother or father. @boston25 #lindsayclancy
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 10:41 a.m.
We are back in courtroom. Fingers crossed they've worked out zoom issues for Dr. Resnick. He just got out of hospital this week after surgery, and could not fly. He is on the monitor as we wait for judge, jury and #lindsayclancy @boston25
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 10:01 a.m.
There are technical difficulties with the Zoom feed for Dr. Resnick. Court will take a break and try to resolve. @boston25 #lindsayclancy
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
Aug. 21, 2026, 9:54 a.m.
Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Phillip Resnick is next defense witness via Zoom. He has testified in many high profile trials including Andrea Yates, who was ultimately found NG/Insanity for the drowning deaths of her 5 children. @boston25 #LindsayClancy
— Bob Ward Boston 25 (@Bward3) August 21, 2026
What happened in court on Thursday?
Jurors were sent home early Thursday after hearing from a hospital chaplain who has met with Clancy more than 200 times since the deaths of her kids in January 2023.
Sheila Cavanaugh, a chaplain at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, testified that Clancy told her she heard a voice commanding her to kill her children and warning that neither she nor the children would be safe if she refused.
“And the voice, according to Lindsay, told her that if she didn’t follow the command, neither she nor her children would be safe,” Cavanaugh testified.
However, prosecutors challenged that testimony during cross-examination, pointing out that Cavanaugh never documented those claims in her notes from meetings with Clancy.
The testimony became a key point of contention as prosecutors questioned why no references to the alleged voice appeared in records detailing years of interactions with Clancy.
Cavanaugh also testified that after a breathing tube was removed from Lindsay’s mouth, she spoke about her children.
“She said to me, as I held her hand to comfort her. I am so glad my children are safe,” Cavanaugh testified. “I said, ‘Lindsay, your children are safe. They are safe in heaven with God.’ And I held her hand throughout that conversation, and we prayed for them.”
What will appear on the jury’s verdict slip?
Following Thursday’s testimony, the judge held a conference with attorneys to discuss the charges that could ultimately appear on the jury’s verdict slip. First-degree and second-degree murder charges were both discussed.
Defense attorneys are also pushing to include involuntary manslaughter as a possible verdict option, a move prosecutors oppose.
Court filings and testimony throughout the trial have centered on whether Clancy was suffering from severe mental illness at the time of the killings and whether she can be held criminally responsible for her actions.
Closing arguments in sight
The trial is moving closer to closing arguments, which could begin as early as Monday or Tuesday.
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