'She Was Begging For Help': Lindsay Clancy's Mother-In-Law Testifies In Triple Murder Trial

Lindsay Clancy was "begging for help" before she killed her three children, her former mother-in-law Susan Clancy told the murder trial on Tuesday. Her testimony echoed evidence from other witnesses about Clancy's deteriorating mental health following the birth of her youngest son.

"She had insomnia. She was losing her appetite," Susan Clancy said. "She was very anxious and sad."

Defence cites postpartum psychosis

Clancy does not dispute carrying out the killings but has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder. Her lawyers say she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time.

Prosecutors have alleged that she deliberately killed her children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months old, in a calculated decision.

Asked by a defence lawyer whether Lindsay Clancy had been "interested at all times in trying to get better and see doctors", Susan Clancy replied, "Very much so."

"She was begging for help," she said, describing Clancy as a "very nurturing, very loving" mother.

After three weeks of testimony from dozens of witnesses, prosecutors rested their case on Monday. The defence then began presenting its case through personal accounts from family members.

Mother recalls warnings about harming children

Clancy's mother, Paula Musgrove, testified on Monday that her daughter had always wanted to be a mother and have many children.

"She always wanted to be a mother, have many children, and I felt it was the best thing that ever happened to her," Musgrove said.

Musgrove said Clancy later began experiencing sleep problems and sent a text saying she was "really sick". About a month before the killings, Clancy told Musgrove and her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, that she had thoughts of harming the children.

Musgrove also said her daughter, a nurse, would tell her, "This isn't me, I've never been like this before." Musgrove said she agreed because Clancy had never been that way before.

Clancy's sister, Allison Ozga, also testified that Clancy told her she was experiencing suicidal thoughts every day during the month before the killings.

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Prosecutors allege intentional killings

Prosecutors said Clancy intentionally strangled the three children with fitness bands at their Massachusetts home in January 2023 before jumping from a second-floor window. Clancy, now 36, was paralysed in the fall and has attended the trial in a wheelchair.

The defence has said Clancy experienced hallucinations and delusions after giving birth to Callan and was receiving medical treatment for psychiatric problems. She also checked herself into a psychiatric hospital for several days shortly before the children's deaths.

The UK's National Health Service (NHS) describes postpartum psychosis as a rare and serious mental health illness that can affect someone soon after giving birth.

"Postpartum psychosis is very different from the 'baby blues'," the NHS says. "It's a serious mental illness and should be treated as a medical emergency."

Published on: Wednesday, August 19, 2026, 04:43 PM IST