About this episode

The episode discusses the trial of Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of murdering her three children and claims insanity as her defense.

On January 24th, 2023, Patrick Clancy left his home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, to collect food and medication for his wife Lindsay Clancy. But when he returned, their three children, five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan, were dead. Lindsay Clancy had strangled them using exercise bands, before using a knife to cut her own wrists and neck, finally throwing herself from the bedroom window. She survived, but the fall left her paralysed. Now, she is on trial for her children’s deaths. But Lindsay Clancy does not deny killing her three young children. Rather, she has pleaded not guilty due to reason of insanity, her defence claiming that she was suffering from severe mental illness, and should not be held criminally responsible.  So was it murder, or was she in the grip of a devastating psychiatric crisis? In the first episode of this series, Kayla is joined by crime correspondent Rachel Sharp, reporting from inside the Massachusetts courtroom, to break down the key evidence from the trial so far. The Trial: USA is part of The Crime Desk. Subscribe today for ad-free listening, early access to new shows, exclusive bonus episodes and complete access…

People in this episode

Host: Kayla

Guest: Rachel Sharp

Topics covered

• murder
• mental illness
• trial
• true crime
• insanity defense
• child deaths

Keywords

• Lindsay Clancy
• Patrick Clancy
• trial
• mental illness
• murder
• insanity defense
• true crime

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Duxbury, Massachusetts

More episodes of The Trial: USA

• The Trial of Lindsay Clancy - Your Questions Answered · September 9, 2026 · 29 min
• The Trial of Lindsay Clancy - Mistrial · September 4, 2026 · 33 min
• The Trial of Lindsay Clancy - “we are unable to come to a unanimous decision” · September 2, 2026 · 11 min
• The Trial of Lindsay Clancy - The Jury Deliberates · August 28, 2026 · 34 min
• The Trial of Lindsay Clancy - Did She Have Capacity? · August 26, 2026 · 52 min
• The Trial of Lindsay Clancy - “She Was Begging for Help” · August 21, 2026 · 39 min

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