DEDHAM, Mass. — The husband of Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury mother charged with murder, has filed a civil lawsuit against his wife’s doctors, alleging that medical negligence resulted in the wrongful deaths of their three young children in 2023, according to new court paperwork.
Lindsay is charged with three counts of murder and strangulation in the deaths of her 5-year-old daughter, Cora, her 3-year-old son, Dawson, and her 7-month-old baby, Callan. She has pleaded not guilty and faces trial in July.
Lindsay’s legal team plans to argue during the trial that overmedication and post-partum mental illness were behind the murders.
The complaint, filed by Patrick Clancy earlier this week in Dedham’s Norfolk Superior Court, names Jennifer A. Tufts, M.D., Rebecca H. Jollotta, C.N.P., Aster Mental Health Inc., and South Shore Health System, Inc. as defendants.
Boston 25 News contacted Aster Mental Health about the lawsuit and was told, “Unfortunately, we will not be able to comment on this.” South Shore Health told Boston 25, “South Shore Health cares deeply about and prioritizes the safety of our patients and their families and always strives to provide excellent care. Given that this matter is now in litigation, we cannot comment on the specific allegations contained in the lawsuit.”
According to the complaint, Lindsay sought treatment for worsening anxiety and mental health struggles following the birth of the couple’s third child. The lawsuit alleges that providers failed to properly monitor her condition, misprescribed multiple psychiatric medications, and did not respond appropriately as her mental health deteriorated.
“The bevy of diverse and powerful medications they misprescribed, coupled with their abject failure to appropriately monitor Lindsay, resulted in Lindsay’s mental health deteriorating to the point of suicidal ideation and requiring inpatient care,” the lawsuit states. “Ultimately, defendants’ negligent treatment of Lindsay, including their complete failure to recognize and address the radical erosion of her mental health, resulted in tragedy, namely, allegations that Lindsay took the lives of her children. If defendants had not acted negligently, and rather had provided adequate care, it is more likely than not that Patrick and Lindsay’s children would still be alive today.”
The court filing alleges that between September 2022 and January 2023, Lindsay was prescribed a series of psychiatric medications that exacerbated her condition. The complaint claims medical providers failed to conduct necessary testing, did not adequately monitor adverse reactions, and continued adding or increasing medications despite reports of worsening symptoms, insomnia, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.
The lawsuit further alleges that appointments were brief and frequently conducted via video, limiting the providers’ ability to fully assess her condition.
“Doing so provided them with an incomplete picture of Lindsay’s condition, as they did not have the ability to fully assess Lindsay’s body language. Moreover, the visits were too short to fully assess Lindsay’s condition,” the lawsuit states.
It also claims the defendants failed to coordinate care among providers and failed to involve family members, despite clear warning signs.
“Lindsay was the primary caregiver for her three children, all five years of age and under. Nonetheless, Lindsay reported being unable to function on a daily basis and reported that she was sleeping only a few hours a night, which alone can result in psychosis,” the lawsuit states. “Despite these clear warning signs, Dr. Tufts and Nurse Jollotta failed to reach out to the individuals with whom Lindsay interacted on a daily basis in order to gain further information regarding her condition and the severity of her condition.”
According to the filing, Lindsay Clancy reported suicidal thoughts, severe insomnia, and escalating mental distress, and at times sought emergency and inpatient care. The complaint claims that providers knew or should have known she posed a danger to herself and her children.
The lawsuit includes claims for wrongful death, conscious pain and suffering, gross negligence, and violations of HIPAA against South Shore Health, alleging improper access to medical records in 2025. It also includes a jury trial demand.
Prosecutors say Lindsay used exercise bands to strangle her kids before jumping out of a second-floor window in a suicide attempt at her Summer Street home in Duxbury on the evening of Jan. 24, 2023.
Lindsay has been paralyzed from the chest down since the jump and has been committed to Tewksbury State Hospital since then.
Attorney Kevin Reddington has argued that Lindsay requires a medical van transport from Tewksbury to Plymouth every day of her trial due to her severe medical condition.
Her trial is set to begin on July 20.
Read the full complaint:
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