Police are examining the possibility that the midwife accused of killing her two small children and attempted to kill her seven-month-old newborn before attempting suicide was suffering from postpartum anxiety.
Lindsay Clancy, 32, allegedly murdered her daughter Cora, five, and son Dawson, three, and attempted to strangle her infant son before jumping from a second-story window in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
Patrick, her 34-year-old husband, got home from work at 6 p.m. on Tuesday and spotted Clancy unresponsive outside their home. He immediately dialed 911.
Both Clancy and her unnamed seven-month-old boy escaped the purported murder-suicide attempt and are currently being treated in Boston hospitals. After her release from police detention, the mother of three will be charged on homicide charges.
The likelihood that Clancy suffered from postpartum anxiety is being investigated. She was on leave from Massachusetts General Hospital, where she worked as a midwife.
Lindsay Clancy, 32, allegedly strangled Cora (center right) and Dawson (middle left) to death and attempted to suffocate her infant boy before jumping out of the second-story window.
Patrick, her 34-year-old husband, spotted Clancy comatose outside their Duxbury house.
Tuesday, officers came at the family residence when Patrick discovered his wife unconscious on the ground beneath a second-story window.
The three small children were discovered upstairs “unconscious” and with apparent symptoms of trauma. Timothy Cruz, district attorney for Plymouth, stated that it appears everyone was strangled.
Cora, age five, and Dawson, age three, were pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital, whereas the seven-month-old infant was airlifted to Boston’s Children’s Hospital where he is alive and receiving medical care.
According to witnesses, CPR was performed on the infant at the spot.
Christopher Clancy, the father-in-law of Lindsay Clancey, told the Boston Globe, “We’re all heartbroken right now.”
After being released from the hospital, Clancy, a labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, will be arraigned on charges including two counts of homicide and three counts each for strangulation and assault and battery with a deadly weapon in connection with the deaths of her two children.
Cora, age 5, and Dawson, age 3, were confirmed deceased upon arrival to the hospital.
Both Clancy and her seven-month-old toddler escaped the apparent murder-suicide attempt and are currently receiving medical care in Boston hospitals. The family home in Duxbury is pictured
Clancy, pictured holding infant Cora, was a Massachusetts General Hospital midwife.
Tuesday, officers came at the family residence when Patrick discovered his wife unconscious on the ground beneath a second-story window. In 2021, Patrick and Lindsay are pictured with Cora (left) and Dawson (right).
Wednesday, Duxbury Police work at the area where the bodies of two toddlers were discovered.
Clancy’s Facebook profile depicts her as a proud mother who frequently posted images of her young, happy family.
In one 2020 post, she stated, “So unbelievably grateful for this family and life.”
But in July, Clancy wrote about her prior issues with postpartum anxiety, stating that she felt “dialed in” six weeks following the birth of her third kid.
According to sources who spoke with the WBZ-TV I-Team, authorities are examining the likelihood that Lindsay Clancy suffered from postpartum psychosis. She was on leave from her midwifery position.
Donna Jesse, who identified herself as the children’s aunt, and Rita Musgrove, who claimed to be their great-grandmother, dropped a bouquet of pink, red, and white flowers outside the family’s home on Wednesday.
Jesse told the Boston Globe, “They were stunningly beautiful youngsters.”
Musgrove added, “This is quite shocking.”
John Sullivan, a neighbor whose yard is adjacent to the family’s property, received a call from his son on Tuesday night informing him that a woman was ‘lying down in the backyard.’
He stated that he raced to his neighbor’s property, where he witnessed first responders administering CPR to an infant outside.
Sullivan told CBS Boston, “Everyone is in a state of disbelief, it is tragic, and the entire neighborhood is trying to make sense of it all.”
Cruz stated at a press conference, “I cannot fathom the pain, the depths of pain they must be experiencing.”
“This is an unfathomable, senseless tragedy, and the investigation is ongoing.”
Images depict Cora, on the right, and Dawson, on the left, smiling together. At the hospital, the siblings were pronounced deceased.
Both Clancy and her seven-month-old toddler escaped the apparent murder-suicide attempt and are currently receiving medical care in Boston hospitals. Clancy is pictured with her surviving child in a September 2022 Facebook post.
Clancy is shown with her 34-year-old husband Patrick, who contacted 911 after discovering her unconscious outside their home on Tuesday evening.
He told reporters, “I’d like to commend the professionalism and efforts of the Duxbury First Responders and the Massachusetts state police.”
“I’m certain that many of them will never forget what they witnessed last night, and I believe we should all be grateful to the men and women in military who are prepared to perform this difficult and challenging work.
When something of this nature occurs, there are typically more questions than answers. As we move forward, we will provide as many answers as possible.
Robert Reardon, the fire chief of Duxbury, stated that the firefighters who raced to the scene are also in mourning.
“We care about everyone who responded,” Reardon added. If you or a coworker require assistance, please reach out.
Cruz cautioned, “No one is here to speculate,” and added, “We are well aware that anyone charged with a criminal offense is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
He concluded the press conference by expressing his heartfelt sympathies to the Clancy family.
Cruz stated that autopsies will now be performed to discover how the youngsters died. When a death certificate is issued, findings will be made public.
In a statement, the hospital where Clancy works stated, ‘We are horrified and grieved to learn of this unimaginable incident. We send our sincere condolences to everyone touched by these tragic events.
Rev. Bill Ferguson of the Pilgrim Church in Duxbury told Boston 25 news station that eight churches had opened their doors to anyone in need in the town.
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