For the first time since prosecutors allege she strangled her three children in the basement of her Duxbury home in January 2023, Lindsay Clancy appeared in a Plymouth courtroom.
Clancy, who is paralyzed from the sternum down after jumping from a second-story window following her children’s deaths, was transported from Tewksbury State Hospital to court. Her medical condition has previously caused logistical challenges, leading to delays in earlier hearings.
Wearing a black sweater and a cross necklace, Clancy was wheeled into the courtroom by a court officer and positioned beside her defense attorney, Kevin Reddington. Unlike most murder defendants, she did not appear to be restrained during the proceedings.
Clancy spoke briefly during the hearing, addressing the presiding judge and consulting periodically with her attorney.
Reddington, who had earlier criticized the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office over transportation arrangements, praised officials on Friday for coordinating Clancy’s transport and medical needs. He told reporters it was important for his client to attend hearings in person so she could remain fully engaged in her defense.
Prior to the hearing, Reddington filed three motions that were not addressed in court. He requested that Clancy’s trial be divided into two phases, that the prosecution expert’s evaluation of her be videotaped, and that juror information be made available before the trial begins.
Under the proposed structure, the first phase would determine whether prosecutors can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Clancy committed the alleged crimes.
The second phase would focus on whether she was suffering from a mental disease or defect that prevented her from understanding the criminality of her actions or conforming her conduct to the law.
In cases where the defense argues lack of criminal responsibility due to mental illness, prosecutors must prove both the commission of the crime and the defendant’s criminal responsibility to secure a conviction.
A hearing on the pending motions is scheduled for March 2, and Reddington has requested that Clancy be transported in person for that session as well.
Clancy’s parents, Mike and Paula Musgrove, attended the hearing and expressed continued support for their daughter, describing her as a loving mother.
Her criminal trial is currently set to begin on July 20.
In recent weeks, Clancy and her husband, Patrick Clancy, have filed medical malpractice lawsuits against healthcare providers who treated her for postpartum depression and anxiety following the birth of their third child. The lawsuits allege that she was over-medicated and did not receive adequate care as her symptoms worsened.
