Skip to content
Lindsay Clancy— Case Archive
personpersonSheila CavanaughSheila CavanaughBoard-certified chaplain at Brigham and Women's Hospital.← All People
WitnessBrigham and Women's Hospital

Sheila Cavanaugh

Courtroom still of Sheila Cavanaugh.

Board-certified chaplain at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Appeared2026 Criminal Trial
93 lines·6 proceedings·5 mentions

About

Sheila Cavanaugh testified for the defense on Day 17 about Lindsay Clancy's hospital statements concerning a male voice and about her later observations of grief. A board-certified chaplain at Brigham and Women's Hospital, she described beginning visits on January 25, 2023, when Clancy was intubated and unable to speak.

Cavanaugh testified that on January 31 Clancy expressed relief that her children were safe and reported a persistent male voice threatening their safety if she did not follow its command. She said the voice arose during several visits. She also described continued visits at Spaulding and approximately 200 visits at Tewksbury, where Clancy frequently discussed her children and expressed grief. The judge allowed the testimony about her children and grief over objections.

On cross-examination, Jennifer Sprague focused on the absence of the reported voice from Cavanaugh's detailed hospital notes. Cavanaugh acknowledged the omission and explained that her notes were not verbatim transcripts: her role was to bear witness to suffering rather than evaluate patients. Sprague contrasted that omission with entries recording Clancy's concerns about walking, hopes for recovery and feelings about her physical limitations.

On redirect, Cavanaugh described the understanding of confidentiality in chaplain conversations and clarified that a description of Clancy as uplifted reflected her own perception, not Clancy's words. On recross, she rejected the premise that recording patient language was forbidden. She acknowledged that a February 6, 2023 note quoted Clancy's fear of being unable to walk again and said she used her best judgment. The court admitted her Brigham and Women's notes on Sprague's motion without a defense objection.

Trial Record (6)

2026 Trial2026 Criminal TrialJul 27, 2026 – Sep 4, 2026Called by defense

Sheila Cavanaugh testified for the defense about Clancy's hospital reports of a threatening male voice and her later grief. Cross-examination centered on Cavanaugh's omission of the reported voice from her notes, which she explained through the confidential, nonclinical nature of chaplain conversations.

Day 16

Day 17

DirectSheila Cavanaugh — Direct ExaminationSheila CavanaughKevin Reddington2highlightsMentioned53lines spoken

Summary

Chaplain Sheila Cavanaugh recounted Clancy's hospital statements about her children's safety and a persistent male voice, along with later observations of grief.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

Highlights (2)

testimony highlightDescribing her January 31 visit, Cavanaugh recalled Clancy expressing relief that her children were safe. She also recounted Clancy's report of a persistent male voice threatening their safety if she did not follow its command.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“She did. She alluded to having heard a voice, and the voice, according to Lindsay, told her that if she did not follow the command, neither she nor her children would be safe.”— Sheila CavanaughDescribes Clancy's reported account of a threatening voice, rather than an independently observed experience.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
CrossSheila Cavanaugh — Cross-ExaminationSheila CavanaughJennifer Sprague2highlights28lines spoken

Summary

Cavanaugh acknowledged omitting the reported voice from her hospital notes, explaining that chaplain notes are not verbatim accounts or clinical evaluations.

Highlights (2)

impeachmentCavanaugh acknowledged that her notes did not record Clancy's reported voice or its statements, explaining that chaplain notes are not verbatim transcripts and that her role was not patient evaluation.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
Quote“Well, chaplain no- notes are not verbatim transcripts of patient conversations. I'm not there to evaluate the patient. I'm there to bear witness to their suffering.”— Sheila CavanaughCavanaugh explained why her notes did not necessarily capture everything discussed, while distinguishing her chaplain role from clinical evaluation.Open in transcript →Watch this moment ▶
RecrossSheila Cavanaugh — Recross-ExaminationSheila CavanaughJennifer Sprague1highlightMentioned5lines spoken

Summary

Cavanaugh acknowledged quoting Clancy in her notes despite treating conversations as confidential. The court admitted the notes without objection.

Mentioned in this proceeding.

Highlights (1)

Day 22

ClosingClosing Argument - DefenseKevin ReddingtonMentioned

Summary

Reddington argued that medication, treatment failures, and psychosis left Lindsay without criminal responsibility. He challenged the investigation and prosecution experts, disputed interpretations of physical and digital evidence, and emphasized the Commonwealth's burden of proof.

Mentioned in this proceeding.