Duxbury, Massachusetts couple Patrick and Lindsay Clancy seemingly had the perfect life. They lived in a large home with their three children: Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months old. However, their lives changed forever on Jan. 24, 2023, when Patrick came home to find his wife seriously injured and his three children strangled.
On that fateful day, Patrick left the house to get takeout dinner and the children’s medicine at CVS. He was gone for less than an hour and when he returned, he found Lindsay sprawled in their backyard with cuts on her wrists and neck. In a semi-conscious state, Lindsay told her husband that she jumped off the second floor of their home in an attempted suicide and said their kids were in the basement. Patrick immediately called 911 while rushing to his kids. What he saw next shocked him; his children lay unconscious with exercise bands still hanging around their necks. Lindsay had strangled them.
Paramedics soon arrived, but it was too late. Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead at the scene. Baby Callan was brought to the hospital, but he died of his injuries a few days later. Lindsay, meanwhile, is left paralyzed from the waist down.
Lindsay Clancy had insomnia and anxiety
According to Patrick, Lindsay suffered from insomnia and anxiety after giving birth to Callan. She sought help from professionals about postpartum depression and was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder but was told she had no symptoms of postpartum depression. Three weeks before the incident, Lindsay was intent on being admitted to a facility and expressed to her husband that she was having thoughts of “wanting to die,” feeling numb, as well as thoughts of harming their children. She was admitted to a psychiatric institution, but just five days later, Lindsay said she no longer had intrusive thoughts and was allowed to go home but was prescribed anti-depressants.
After the short stint at the facility, things seemed to be looking up for the couple. Patrick noticed his wife was regularly sleeping and her mood had improved. They celebrated Cora’s birthday just a couple of days after Lindsay was discharged and little by little, Patrick saw his wife return to her old self. Eventually, Patrick was confident that he could leave Lindsay alone with their children and in those cases, nothing bad happened. He also checked in on his wife every morning and asked how she was feeling, and he did the same on the day of the incident, to which Lindsay said she felt good and slept well. Patrick had no inkling about what would happen later that day.
Patrick Clancy has forgiven his wife
Patrick forgave his wife after the death of their children, but it took a while before he could talk to her. He stayed with his family while grieving the loss and took a trip out of the country alone. When he got back, he began clearing their home and has since moved to an apartment. After six months, he finally talked to his wife – who was staying at a psychiatric institution – on her 33rd birthday. In April 2024, Patrick ran the Boston Marathon in honor of his three children.
In an interview with The New Yorker, he said, “I wasn’t married to a monster — I was married to someone who got sick.” Patrick hasn’t publicly commented about the status of his relationship with Lindsay, but his mother said, “He has to come to terms with the fact that she’s no longer part of anything. She’s gonna go her way, and he’s gonna go his.” Lindsay is facing murder charges for the deaths of her children. She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment and is being held at a state hospital. A trial date has yet to be scheduled.
Published: Oct 16, 2024 09:01 am