2026 Criminal Trial

Jurors received preliminary instructions before opening statements presented competing accounts of Lindsay Clancy’s criminal responsibility. Patrick Clancy began testifying about her symptoms, treatment, and behavior on January 24, while acknowledging limits to his knowledge of medication use and clinical care.

Patrick Clancy described returning home, finding Lindsay injured, and discovering the children. CVS and restaurant employees testified about calls and errand records. Cross-examination and further questioning addressed Lindsay's symptoms, treatment, parenting, and the limits of Patrick's knowledge of her medication use.

Emergency responders described finding and treating the three children and caring for Lindsay Clancy. Defense questioning addressed limits on wound assessments and possible effects of cold exposure. Photographs and a scene entry and exit log were admitted.

Officers testified about Lindsay Clancy’s hospital condition and evidence collection. Physicians described emergency treatment of Dawson and Callan Clancy, and a laboratory witness addressed specimen preservation and transfer. The court admitted photographs and the children’s certified medical records.

Physicians described Cora's resuscitation and Callan's brain injury and death determination. Hospital staff addressed Lindsay Clancy's injuries, recovery, and psychiatric assessments, while police testimony covered searches and journals containing accounts of distress and support.

The judge accepted Clancy's factual stipulations. Medical and forensic witnesses described her injuries, medication evidence, blood testing, fingerprint examinations, and toxicology findings. Cross-examination addressed limits in record review, sampling, and stain interpretation. Toxicology screening detected no substances in the children's specified samples.

Medical witnesses described Clancy's wrist injuries and drug concentrations, with limits on what those findings established. DNA testimony addressed exercise-band mixtures and house stains, while former nanny Elaine Rossi recalled attentive parenting, reported postpartum and sleep difficulties, and no safety concerns during her employment.

Kimberley Springer testified about Callan's autopsy and cause of death. Other witnesses described Lindsay Clancy's parenting, behavior and reported sleep and medication difficulties. Police testimony addressed surveillance and a Facebook post. Outside the jury's presence, the court reserved decision on proposed defense medical experts.

Psychiatrists Alia Goodheart and Jennifer Tufts described Clancy’s hospitalization, outpatient treatment, medication changes, and risk assessments. Questioning addressed limits on observation and outside records. Club employee Kimberlee Hardy and social acquaintance Sarah Carney described their interactions with Clancy and the limits of their knowledge of her health.

Jennifer Tufts completed testimony about her psychiatric assessments, prescribing and reliance on Lindsay Clancy’s reports. Julie Paul described November treatment, medication intolerance and a partial hospitalization recommendation; her cross-examination was deferred.

Rebecca Jollotta testified about Clancy's symptoms, medication changes, suicidal thoughts, and evolving differential diagnosis. Cross-examination addressed persistent depression and gaps in communication with other providers. The judge also reserved decision on a proposed defense witness concerning McLean Hospital.

Dan Lawler testified about hospital evidence and an alleged coaching theory, while counselor Latiesha Dukes described Clancy's symptoms, treatment referrals and reported improvement. Hospital-watch records were admitted. Medical examiners described the children's injuries and causes of death, with qualifications on oxygen-deprivation timelines.

Computer and phone testimony covered browsing, mental-health searches, family messages and the limits of forensic interpretation. Joshua McKelligan described scene evidence and qualified his recollection of the medical examiner's explanation. After jurors left, the judge limited visitor-log disclosure to Dr. Paul Zeizel.

The Commonwealth rested after Ian Whiffin's digital-evidence testimony, and the court denied the defense's Rule 25 motion. Defense witnesses described Clancy's nursing work, reported mental-health difficulties, and injuries, while cross-examination addressed limits on their observations and accounts of improvement.

Defense witnesses addressed Lindsay Clancy’s reported symptoms, treatment history, and injuries. Susan Clancy and Donald Condie faced questions about the limits of their knowledge, Elizabeth Laposata defended her injury and strangulation opinions, and Paul Zeizel described his interviews and opinion that Clancy was not malingering.

Paul Zeizel gave his criminal-responsibility opinion and faced questions about his sources, independence, and public comments. Outside the jury's presence, the judge excluded proposed testimony about McLean Hospital practices while permitting the defense to submit staffing and program records.

Sheila Cavanaugh testified about Clancy's reported voice and acknowledged that her notes did not record it. Counsel disputed intoxication and involuntary manslaughter instructions, with no decision announced.

Defense psychiatrist Phillip Resnick attributed Clancy's conduct to psychosis, while Commonwealth psychiatrist Avram Mack diagnosed a major depressive episode and opined that she retained the capacities required for criminal responsibility. Cross-examination addressed treatment records, postpartum timing, and evaluation methods.

Avram Mack maintained his depression diagnosis and criminal-responsibility opinion, while Kirk Heilbrun offered a different diagnosis and explanation of Clancy's conduct. The judge denied a defense mistrial motion over religious testimony, struck the testimony, and instructed jurors to disregard it.

Kirk Heilbrun gave his clinical opinion that Clancy was criminally responsible, then faced defense questions about evaluation limits, medication effects and testing. Gregory Saathoff began testimony about her reported command voice and accounts of events but had not given a final responsibility opinion.

Gregory Saathoff opined that Clancy was criminally responsible and faced defense challenges to his reasoning. Sullivan denied a renewed required-finding motion and decided to give a manslaughter instruction while declining a Bowden instruction.

The defense sought a lack-of-criminal-responsibility verdict, while the Commonwealth argued for first-degree murder findings. Judge Sullivan delivered instructions before and after the closings, and six alternates were selected before the planned start of deliberations.

Jurors resumed deliberations after an impartiality check, then were excused until Monday at 9 a.m. with reminders to avoid discussing or following the case.

Jurors resumed deliberations after reporting no impartiality or service concerns. They were later excused at their request until 9 a.m. the following morning, with renewed instructions.

Jurors reported an inability to reach a unanimous decision. The judge directed them to continue deliberations, without objection from either side.

Judge Sullivan gave supplemental deadlock instructions and directed further deliberations after jurors reported they remained unable to reach unanimity.

Judge Sullivan repeated the reasonable-doubt instruction and maintained his approach after the defense sought further inquiry and removal of a deliberating juror.

Judge Sullivan declared a mistrial after the jury reported an inability to reach unanimity. He denied further juror inquiry, and the SJC denied emergency relief. The jury was discharged, with no retrial date set.