Court documents released this week included nearly 40 letters from friends and family members supporting Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury, Massachusetts, mother accused of killing her three young children in what her lawyer is saying was the result of being overmedicated for postpartum depression.
Lindsay Clancy is accused of tying exercise rope around each of her three children's necks for several minutes, then cutting herself and jumping out a window while her husband was running a pair of errands she'd arranged — all after seeing how long he would be out of the home. She remains hospitalized and is scheduled to return to court on May 2.
Letters submitted to Lindsay Clancy's lawyer paint a very different picture from the one shared by prosecutors, saying she "lived to be a mother," and was a valuable resource on motherhood and parenting for many of her friends. They also spoke of her dedication to her job as a labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Grace McNulty, a nurse and longtime colleague, wrote in an email that Lindsay is "a compassionate, supportive & excellent nurse. There wasn't anything she loved more than her children Cora, Dawson, Callan & her husband Patrick. I am proud to stand beside her."
Stacey Kabat, who first met Lindsay when she was a student nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, said the tragic events of Jan. 24 have caused her and many others in the MassGeneral Brigham family "heartbreak since that dreadful night." She said Lindsay is a "strong, compassionate and loving nurse, who no one would ever imagine could harm anyone."
As a maternal child health nurse, Kabat said she was "shocked" to see how many medications Lindsay was on.
"I am heart broken that this beautiful young woman, her loving husband and their precious children have been destroyed because they were not provided with the essential medical care that they deserved. Please know that if our Lindsay had proper treatment this family would still be together... Please know that she deserves no further punishment since they will suffer an unbearable grief for the rest of their lives."
A lifelong friend, Michelle DaConto, called Lindsay "one of the smartest people I know," and said she has often looked to her for guidance, especially on pregnancy.
"We were all so very ecstatic when we found out Lindsay was pregnant. She was the first in our friend group to have a baby and we all couldn't have been happier. She always wanted a large family, jokingly saying she wanted 10 kids. You could see her love and compassion for her children continually shine through."
Amy Bevins, a friend of Lindsay's for the past 25 years, said they "navigated the journey of pregnancy and subsequently motherhood together," as her son and Lindsay's son Dawson were born just six days apart.
"There are no amount of words to adequately express the amount of support, encouragement, and compassion that Lindsay provided me during what I can only describe as the most wonderful, but nerve-wracking experience of my life." She said Lindsay "was there for me every step of the way," patiently answering every question she had and cheering alongside her as she passed each pregnancy milestone.
"My heart breaks for her and her family," wrote Mary Pomerleau, a nurse and colleague of Lindsay's. "Mental health is the most poorly understood medical condition and has devastating consequences, as we have realized."
"We are all in shock hearing of the tragedy and shocked she would hurt her children, whom she loved dearly," Pomerleau added. "This is not in her character and we are saddened she will have to live with this."
"I do not know a better mother than Lindsay Clancy," said Erika Sevieri, also a nurse. "She lived and breathed for her children."
"She lived to be a mother," said Kendra Keefe, a nurse who worked alongside Lindsay for many years. "She was so proud to raise her beautiful children and it couldn't have been more apparent."
Susan Davidson, a nurse and former co-worker of Lindsay's, called her "a kind and caring human being," who "put her gentle heart and compassion into everything she did."
"She and her husband worked so hard to get help and persevered through so much," Davidson continued. "How could prison be the answer for this family? They have already lost so much."
Davidson, who said she also suffered from postpartum depression, added, "I could have been Lindsay. Any one of us could have been."
If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling 988, call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting ‘Home’ to 741741 anytime.
The court documents released this week also included an email from Lindsay Clancy's surgeon, giving additional insight into the extent of the injuries suffered when she jumped from the window of her home after allegedly strangling her three children.
Dr. Nakul Raykar said the 20-foot fall resulted in several severe spine fractures, which required surgery.
"Unfortunately, she is not expected to recover meaningful function at this point below that level of the spinal cord, which would make her paraplegic." He said she also suffered rib fractures and cervical spine fractures that will require her to wear a collar around her neck.
The surgeon said Lindsay is "nearing readiness to leave the hospital," but will have "continued, extensive rehabilitation needs, specifically with respect to spinal cord injury." He recommended Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital as the next step in her recovery.
Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington, has said his client was overmedicated for postpartum depression and anxiety, having been prescribed a dozen medications in four months. He said she even checked herself into a psychiatric hospital three weeks before the crime.
"This really is a tragedy, this case," he said in court this week.
Reddington hinted that a defense of insanity and involuntary intoxication are both on the table as the trial gets underway.
