The prosecutors in Lindsay Clancy’s murder case have revealed the reason they believe the mom of three killed her children before attempting to die by suicide.
Both the prosecution and defense gave their closing arguments on Thursday, August 27, as Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder for the January 2023 killings of Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months.
Throughout the trial, Clancy’s defense argued that she should not be held criminally responsible for the murders due to her mental health struggles, claiming she was unable to tell right from wrong at the time of the slayings. Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague is insisting Clancy should be held criminally responsible for killing her children despite her mental illnesses.
“That’s not the issue in this trial,” Sprague told jurors while reflecting on Clancy’s postpartum health, according to People. “The issue is whether, at the time she killed Cora, Dawson and Callan, she knew the difference between right and wrong, and whether she could conform her behavior to the requirements of the law.”
Sprague then touched on the defense’s claims that Clancy had been overmedicated and received inadequate medical care in the months leading up to the killings.
“It wasn’t the fault of the providers that she was struggling with this or that she wasn’t getting better,” she said. “They were doing the best they could with the information she provided them, and that wasn’t always accurate information. That wasn’t always the full picture.”
Sprague went on to explain why the prosecution believes Clancy killed her children.
“She was depressed. She was exhausted. She was done. She didn’t want to try anymore. She felt damaged,” Sprague said. “But those kids, those kids were her protective factor. Those kids were keeping her from ending her misery. So she had to remove the protective factor.”
While Sprague argued Clancy may not have been “happy” about killing her kids, she said that she likely did it “to end her misery” and that it was her “choice.”
Before Sprague made the argument, the defense doubled down on claims that Clancy should not be held criminally responsible for her children’s murders during their own closing arguments.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington said that Clancy was not “criminally responsible” for the crime because of her psychological state, citing the expert opinion of forensic psychiatrist Phillip Resnick while addressing the jury.
Resnick examined Clancy prior to the trial and testified that she was “frankly psychotic” and not in control of her actions before and while killing her children.
“He indicates clearly in his opinion that she was in a state of psychosis at the time of this death, times three,” Reddington said, according to CNN. “Has any of the government doctors rebutted that?”
He continued, “She’s not criminally responsible. The burden is on them.”
After both teams concluded their arguments, the jury began to deliberate whether or not Clancy will be held criminally responsible for the murders.
If you or someone you know is pregnant or just had a baby and is in crisis, help is available. Call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline for free, confidential support 24/7 in English and Spanish at 1-833-TLC-MAMA (1-833-852-6262).
