PLYMOUTH, Mass. — The Lindsay Clancy murder trial enters its 12th day on Wednesday.
[ LIVESTREAM: Continuing coverage of Lindsay Clancy murder trial ]
Testimony in Plymouth Superior continues after Tuesday’s testimony focused on Clancy’s mental health treatment in the weeks before the deaths of her three children, with a psychiatric nurse describing concerns Clancy repeatedly raised about worsening symptoms and medication side effects.
Rebecca Jollotta, a psychiatric nurse who treated Clancy in late 2022, testified that the Duxbury mother of three complained that prescribed psychiatric medications were not working quickly enough and may have been making her condition worse.
By the time Jollotta first met Clancy in November 2022, Clancy had already spent weeks under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Tufts, who prescribed medications to address insomnia and anxiety. She had also met with another psychiatric nurse, Julie Paul, at South Shore Health, where different medications were prescribed.
According to Jollotta’s testimony, Clancy expressed frustration with her treatment and linked her worsening symptoms to the medications she had been taking.
Prosecutors highlighted messages Clancy sent to Jollotta in which she discussed feelings of hopelessness and thoughts about death.
Jollotta told the court she did not believe Clancy was suicidal at the time, but provided information about emergency mental health resources.
“I said, this sounds like depression and anhedonia symptoms,” Jollotta testified. “I would say if you’re feeling unsafe, particularly as we head into the weekend, it is important for you to have information for psych emergency services available to you.”
She said she provided Clancy with information about 24-hour emergency mental health programs, including mobile crisis intervention services.
Jollotta also testified that by December 2022, she had begun to suspect Clancy may have had an underlying bipolar disorder. She said she shared those concerns with both Lindsay and her husband, Patrick Clancy.
When asked how the couple responded, Jollotta recalled Patrick Clancy rejecting the possibility.
“I recall Patrick saying, ‘My wife is not bipolar,’” Jollotta testified. “Lindsay looked at me. She did not say anything.”
Lindsay Clancy is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the January 2023 deaths of her children: 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan.
Her defense team is pursuing an insanity defense, arguing Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis and is not criminally responsible for her actions. Prosecutors contend Clancy was not suffering from postpartum psychosis and was aware of her actions when the children were killed.
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