LIVE UPDATES: Lindsay Clancy breaks down sobbing as distraught 911 call is played on Day 2 of trial

Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial is underway in Massachusetts. The 35-year-old woman is charged with three counts of murder for the strangling deaths of her three children, ages 5, 3, and 8 months old. Clancy is present in the courtroom, bound to a wheelchair after she was paralyzed by injuries she sustained when she jumped from her home’s second-story window in an alleged suicide attempt. Her defense lawyer claims she was insane at the time, suffering from postpartum psychosis, and could not appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions. We are posting live updates from the courtroom here. Time notes are Eastern Daylight Time. Please forgive typos.

EDITOR’S NOTE: There are graphic, disturbing details contained in this story. Reader discretion is advised.

4:15 p.m. Court is in recess until Thursday at 9:00 a.m.

4:11 p.m. After a short recross about Lindsay’s prescriptions, Patrick confirms she was given a Trazodone prescription in November. His testimony concludes, and he is off the stand.

4:07 p.m. Prosecutor: Lindsay’s notes to the babysitter are very detailed, very specific. Lindsay details when to feed and put Callan down for a nap. Instructions include exactly how to chop up vegetables, including what size they should be? Patrick: Sounds like it, yeah.

4:02 p.m. Prosecutor: Lindsay stopped taking Zoloft because she was switched to Prozac. She didn’t take that? She ends up at McLeans because she was having difficulty with Seroquel. You mentioned you went to New York in November — that was 2 months before the children were killed. She was doing better than she was in December. You took a trip in early November with Cora. Did anything happen while Lindsay was taking care of the kids? Patrick: Nothing bad happened. Prosecutor: Things started to get worse in December. Things got better in January? Patrick: Yes. Prosecutor: Jan. 24, you testified that was one of her “best days”? Patrick: Yeah. It’s pointed out that the drop from the second-floor window to the ground is actually 12 feet.

3:56 p.m. Prosecutor: Lindsay’s stay at McLean Hospital was voluntary. She could leave if she wanted to? Patrick: I don’t know. Prosecutor: Were you there when the staff checked on her every 15 minutes? Patrick: She told me about it. Prosecutor: People were seeing her throughout her stay? Patrick: Yeah. Prosecutor: What was the medication Dr. Goodheart recommended? Patrick: Cymbalta, but Lindsay ended up taking something else.

3:50 p.m. Prosecutor: On Dec. 3, you had plans to go to Boston? Patrick: We were home. There was a plan prior, there was an anniversary plan, but that was canceled. Prosecutor: You sent Lindsay a text saying that you booked her for a massage? Patrick: Yes. Prosecutor: You had plans, but they fell through? Patrick: The understanding was that Lindsay took the pills as instructed. I was not standing next to her every time she took pills. Prosecutor: You were asked about Facebook posts, and looking up the country singer, right? Patrick: I don’t remember specifically. I do remember listening to him for a week. Prosecutor: In August 2022, someone signed into Lindsay Clancy’s account at 9:43 p.m. and went to (singer) Tom Hall’s page. Any reason why you would be logging into Lindsay’s Facebook account? Patrick: I didn’t log into Lindsay’s Facebook page, ever. It’s possible I looked at Tom Hall’s Wikipedia page. I don’t remember a suicide site.

3:48 p.m. The Commonwealth begins redirect questioning. Prosecutor: You’re clearly out of the house 5:24 p.m. (on Dec. 24, 2023). After the text at 5:15 p.m., you don’t go into the CVS until 5:32 p.m.? Patrick: I don’t know when I pulled into the parking lot. Prosecutor: The video shows you entering the CVS at 5:32 p.m. Sometime after the text from Lindsay and before 5:32 p.m., you were in the car? Patrick: Correct.

3:46 p.m. Reddington displays a photo of the windows in the back of the house, noting the blood smears on the first-floor window. (Reddington has no further questions, marking the end of cross-examination)

3:42 p.m. Patrick: I knew she kept notes, but I didn’t see her do it. Reddington: Does this reflect her state of mind on particular dates? Patrick: Yeah. Patrick identifies a schedule Lindsay kept for Callan. Reddington: Is she being controlling? Patrick: No, I found it helpful. Reddington: One of the things the district attorney asked you about was the exhibits of the photos of the window, the 20-foot drop to the ground? Patrick: Correct. Do you see an orange ball (in the photo)? What is that orange ball, which appears to have blood on it? Patrick: We had a woodpecker that made holes in the house. We took foam and filled the holes.

3:33 p.m. Reddington: Police seized drugs in the house, and you told police you also had pills and you gave them to prosecutors. She stopped those ones. And you had new prescriptions, right? Do you recall that I removed this from the nightstand? It’s the drawer that goes into the nightstand. Inside the drawer were empty medication bottles. Reddington rattles off a number of drugs — five or six — prescribed to Lindsay in December and January. Reddington: They were all empty? Patrick: Right. Reddington: Also in the drawer was her Apple watch. Police did not seize these? Patrick: Right.

3:31 p.m. Reddington: You indicated yesterday that police seized a number of pill bottles, and you had a number of pill bottles, right? Sometimes a provider adjusted medications. For example, Lindsay had a prescription for Ativan, but they wanted to increase it. Prosecutors suggested she wasn’t taking the medication? Without that context, it paints a different picture.

3:27 p.m. Reddington: Lindsay had a number of books on parenting, including a Postpartum Depression & Anxiety workbook. Police seized these items? Patrick: Yes. Reddington: These are notes she would take on postpartum effects? Patrick: It appears to be the case. (Defense submits records from Dr. Tufts.)

3:24 p.m. Reddington: You worked out of the home since 2018. In November 2022, a month before Lindsay is telling you that she’s having thoughts of hurting the children, where did you travel? Patrick: New York. Reddington: You were gone for two nights. Lindsay took care of the kids. Is it fair to say you had friends? You had guys’ nights? If she wanted to kill the kids, she could have done it then, right? You were gone for two days in November, as well as skiing.

3:22 pm. Reddington: Lindsay continued to keep a diary? Patrick: Sounds like something she would do. (Reddington displays a page from Lindsay’s medical diary.) Reddington: There was an occasion where she told you, in the presence of her mother, that she was having horrible thoughts. It was an emotional thing for her to do that? Patrick: Right. Lindsay: After that time frame, you continued to work in the basement? Patrick: Yeah.

3:20 p.m. Reddington: Did you get any medications? Patrick: No. Reddington: Did you get anything other than a recommendation for Cymbalta? Patrick: No. Reddington: You guys go home in January. You had the party for Cora? Patrick: Yes. Reddington: Lindsay stayed in touch with a number of friends from college — one of your friends wanted Lindsay to be the godmother for one of her children, correct? Patrick: My brain has been foggy.

3:17 p.m. Reddington: Before going back home from Dr. Tufts, Lindsay turned herself in to McLean Hospital. It’s a locked facility. She couldn’t leave. What was her state of mind on New Year’s Day? Patrick: She was scared. It was the second time she had been to the emergency room. I told her she had to go. I saw mostly nurses behind a plastic area. It could have been just the time of day, people were just hanging out. Reddington: Did she see a psychiatrist? Patrick: I’m not aware. Reddington: She saw one on the second-to-last day. I called and wanted to see what her evaluation was. We spoke. It was Dr. Goodheart who prescribed medication. She recommended the medication Cymbalta. When Lindsay left, it was because she wanted to be at Cora’s birthday. She did want to attend Cora’s birthday.

3:15 p.m. Reddington: During that time, did your and Lindsay’s parents come and help out with the kids? Patrick: Separately. They wanted to be there to help out. Reddington: Did Lindsay’s parents stay there at the house? Patrick: They did. Reddington: There was an occasion when Lindsay slept downstairs, for the purposes of getting better sleep. She took a sleep gummy? Pattrick: I don’t recall. Reddington: Did she smoke weed? Patrick: No. Reddington: Over the holidays in December of 2022, where did you spend Christmas? Patrick: At our house. Then we went to her parents’ house in Connecticut.

3:10 p.m. Reddington: What happened in mid-December? Seroquel was increased to 400 mg. Lindsay just got worse. Did she go to the women’s and infants’ hospital on Dec. 20? Patrick: Yes. Reddington: How did she get there? Patrick: I drove her. Reddington: What was her state of mind? Patrick: She was scared. Reddington: Do you remember what you did? Patrick: I took Dawson skiing. Reddington: Did you receive a phone call from Lindsay? Patrick: Yes. She wanted me to pick her up. Reddington: The doctors wanted to talk to you. What were Lindsay’s symptoms on Dec 20? (Commonwealth raises an objection.) Reddington: Did the women and infants hospital prescribe medication? Patrick: No.

3:06 p.m. Reddington recalls information Patrick testified to earlier, that Lindsay switched doctors to Dr. Jollota because Paul had moved to another position. Reddington says Jollota prescribed Seroquel, and Lindsay did not respond well. The attorney recalls how Patrick testified that he accompanied Lindsay to see Jollota in early December, when she was extremely sleep-deprived and highly anxious. Reddington: Did you see her on the sofa rocking back and forth? Patrick: Yes. I think it was Dec. 6. Reddington: Do you remember what medications she was prescribed? Patrick: She (Jollota) increased the Seroquel and prescribed Lindsay some Valium to take her off the benzodiazepines. Reddington: Did Lindsay seek out drugs because she was an addict? Patrick: She didn’t want to take benzodiazepines. It wasn’t so much that she wanted off the medications; she just wanted the right medications.

3:01 p.m. Reddington: Who was the next doctor Lindsay consulted with for her mental health? Julie Paul. Julie Paul was a friend of your mother’s, correct? Patrick: An acquaintance. Reddington: It wasn’t a formal referral. Lindsay’s on Zoloft, prescribed by her psychiatrist. When did she see nurse Paul? Patrick: Maybe October. Reddington: Did she (Paul) prescribe medication? Patrick: I don’t know. Reddington: Did Lindsay have reactions to the Zoloft? Patrick: It seemed to align with her insomnia. Reddington: Was that a significant problem? Patrick: It was a huge problem. She had gone 48 hours without sleep. Yeah, it was hard to function. I just wanted her to get some sleep and feel better. Reddington: She went to see nurse Paul at the South Shore? Patrick: Right. Reddington: Did she seem to get better or worse? Patrick: It’s so hard to say.

2:57 p.m. Reddington: How dedicated was Lindsay about taking the medication? Patrick: She always took her medication as instructed. Reddington: Did she have a diary where she noted the medication, when she took it, the amount, and her reaction? Patrick: Yes. Reddington: Lindsay kept the log in the kitchen. This book is, in fact, the same book that was in the kitchen, correct? Patrick: Yes. Reddington: Do you see what the caption of the book says? It says: “Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts”

2:47 p.m. Reddington recounts previous testimony that Callan Clancy was born on May 26, 2022. He notes that there were no complications in the delivery, but that in September 2022, Lindsay’s mental health started to deteriorate. Reddington: Did she reach out for help? Patrick: Yes. She reached out to Jennifer Tufts. Reddington: Do you recall her troubles began in September? Patrick: It was gradual. Reddington: Do you recall whether or not, in August of 2022, you googled suicide? The suggestion was that Lindsay googled it. Do you recall searching for Tom Hall? Patrick: I do remember listening to Tom Hall’s music. Reddington: Did you google suicide methods? Patrick: No. Reddington: It shows that you went to Tom Hall. When you were looking at Tom Hall, it took you to searching ways to commit suicide, suicide. Were you looking to see if he had killed himself? You could have inadvertently followed the links about suicide while searching for Tom Hall, is that right? Patrick: Sounds like it.

2:38 p.m. Reddington introduces evidence to show that Dec. 2, 2022, was not spent in a fancy hotel as suggested by the Commonwealth. He says Patrick and Lindsay spent their anniversary at home. Evidence includes a photo sent to Patrick from Lindsay, which was taken at a doctor’s office on Dec. 2, at 12:45 p.m. Evidence also shows Lindsay sent Patrick Cora’s Christmas wish list on Dec. 2 at 6:13 p.m. Exhibit 76 is an email from Patrick to his staff members, timestamped Jan. 24 at 5:24 p.m.

2:29 p.m. Reddington goes on to display pictures that Lindsay posted of the kids on her Facebook page in the summer of 2021 and in 2022, as Patrick proceeds to identify the children in the photos for the court.

2:27 p.m. Reddington: What was Lindsay’s relationship with Dawson like? Patrick: She loved him very much. Reddington: Did she resent him? Patrick: No. Reddington: You’re familiar with her Facebook account. Do you know what she posted? Patrick: No. Reddington: Would you be able to identify her postings? Patrick: Probably. Reddington: Can you identify this posting? (Prosecution raises an objection)

2:25 p.m. Reddington displays a series of photos of the walls in the kids’ rooms reflecting children’s art projects, stickers.

2:21 p.m. On a note dated May 11, 2015, there appears to be a list of the first baby deliveries Lindsay assisted with. Reddington: Does this appear to be the list of all her deliveries? A name on the list is Cora. Is that why you named your daughter Cora? … Patrick testifies that Lindsay was very dedicated to her children. He says she started reading books to them when they were 3 months old. He says she took them to music classes. Reddington: Almost every room in the house was dedicated to the children, correct? Patrick: Yes. Reddington: What was on the wall? Patrick: Art projects, stickers. Reddington: One of the photos is of one of your rooms — it’s the playroom. All the objects in the room were toys, correct? Patrick: Yes.

2:19 p.m. Reddington: Is it your understanding that she would take notes? Patrick: Yes. Reddington shows Patrick a note Lindsay wrote. Commonwealth objects. Judge calls attorneys to sidebar.

2:15 p.m. Reddington: How did Lindsay like being a nurse? Patrick: She loved it. Reddington: But she was anxious because she didn’t want to return to work; she didn’t want to go back. You said there was a reason she was anxious. Patrick: Correct. She was anxious because she didn’t want to go back. She struggled with being separated from the kids.

2:13 p.m.Patrick Clancy returns to the witness stand. He will be on cross-examination by defense attorney Kevin Reddington.

2:07 p.m. Court is back in session. Attorneys are at sidebar.

11:57 a.m. Judge announces the court will be in a lunch break until 2 p.m.

11:47 a.m. Commonwealth calls Witness No. 3: Saria Sweeney, who worked at the ThreeV restaurant as a hostess. Sweeny testifies that during her shift on Jan. 24, 2023, which started at about 4:45 p.m., she received a call from a woman for an order that included risotto. At 5:54 p.m., Sweeny says a man (identified in the video as Patrick Clancy) picked up the order. (No cross-examination by defense)

11:42 a.m. Krause testifies that she was working the 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. shift on Jan. 24, 2023. She says she spoke to Lindsay Clancy on the phone, and Lindsay inquired if the store had a product called Miralax. Krause says she told Lindsay they carried Pedialax. During the conversation, Krause says she had no difficulty understanding Lindsay – she was normal. Later in the evening, Krause says police came to the store and asked for surveillance footage. She says she also gave the officers a receipt for a purchase of Skittles and Pedialax. (No cross-examination by defense)

11:38 a.m. Court resumes with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Witness No. 2: Angela Krause, general manager for CVS Pharmacy at 189 Summer Street in Kingston, Mass.

11:30 a.m. Court is in a five-minute recess.

11:24 a.m. Lindsay is wearing her glasses and appears composed after breaking down and sobbing during the 911 call played for jurors.

11:21 a.m. Courtroom is open again, testimony will resume shortly.

10:25 a.m. Lindsay Clancy is sobbing. Court goes into recess.

10:20 a.m. Rough transcript of Patrick’s call to 911:

• 911 Dispatcher: Explain how she tried to commit suicide. (multiple voices are heard) Where is she now? Stay awake. How old is she?
• Patrick Clancy: 31-33.
• Dispatcher: Is she awake?
• Patrick: Yes.
• Dispatcher: Is she breathing?
• Patrick: Yeah. Lindsay, what did you do to your neck? She’s talking.
• Dispatcher: When did this happen?
• Patrick: In the last half hour.
• Dispatcher: How far did she fall?
• Patrick: 20 feet. (multiple voices are heard)
• Dispatcher: Is she responding normally?
• Patrick: A little bit. Wake up!
• Dispatcher: What part of the body was injured?
• Patrick: Her neck. … She’s breathing. Lindsay, look at me! Look at me!
• Dispatcher: Are there weapons?
• Patrick: I don’t see any. Where are the kids? (multiple voices are heard)
• Dispatch: Do not move her.
• Patrick: Open your eyes. Can someone – OK, Lindsay, look at me. Open your eyes.
• Dispatcher: I’m going to tell you how to stop the bleeding.
• Patrick: It’s not bleeding … open wounds. She’s in the backyard.
• Dispatcher: Is there something on her neck? A knife or something? Can you put pressure on it?
• Patrick: No. (multiple voices are heard)
• Patrick: Lindsay, wake up. (moaning is heard)
• Dispatcher: Put pressure on the cut.
• Patrick: Lindsay, look at me. Say my name. She’s conscious.
• Dispatcher: Don’t move her. Tell her to be still. (Whimpering is heard in the background, as well as sirens in the distance.)
• Dispatcher: I’m going to stay on the line with you. Is there a fence?
• Patrick: Right here, right here! … I need you to stay, and I’ll go check on my kids.
• Patrick: Hello? (footsteps are heard) Guys? Guys? Oh, no! (yelling is heard) Oh, no! (more yelling) Wake up! (Patrick is heard screaming).
• Dispatcher: What is he screaming about?
• Patrick: (Crying, screaming and gasping) OH, MY GOD! (more screaming)
• Dispatcher: Hello? What’s going on?
• Patrick: Basement! Basement! OH, MY GOD!
• Dispatcher: Hello? hello?
• Patrick: (Screaming. Screaming, Screaming.) AHHHHH, SHE KILLED THE KIDS!!!
  OH, MY GOD! (Screaming. Screaming. Screaming. Screaming.)
• Dispatcher: “Oh, shit.”

10:14 a.m. Sprague displays each of the exercise bands that were used to strangle the children. Lindsay is looking away from the demonstration. The 911 call is to be played next. The judge gives special instructs to the jury.

10:11 a.m. Sprague displays clothing worn by Cora, which includes a pink robe, followed by images of the other children’s clothing. Dawson’s clothing includes a T-shirt and pants with a dinosaur print. Callan has a zipped-up baby jumper. The hurors all look very somber; some jot down a few notes.

10:07 a.m. Prosecutor: Did Lindsay say she wanted to harm your children? Did she ever say she wanted to kill your children? Patrick: No. Prosecutor: Lindsay called you while she was at the hospital? What did she say? Patrick: She said she heard a man’s voice, saying to “do it now. This is your chance” — something like that. Prosecutor: Did she tell you she had a moment of psychosis? Did she mention the children at all? Patrick: I don’t think so. Prosecutor: Had she ever mentioned psychosis? Patrick: I don’t recall. Prosecutor: Did she ever mention that she heard a man’s voice before? Patrick: No. (During this part of his testimony, Patrick’s answers are barely above a whisper.) Sprague says she has no further questions. The witness is excused and subject to recall at a later point. The judge calls attorneys to sidebar.

10:04 a.m. Patrick: I tried to help Cora, tried to give her CPR.

10:03 a.m. Next, Patrick says he tried to find Dawson. Patrick: He was in my office. He also had a band around his neck. He was just inside the door to my office, to the left.

9:59 a.m. Prosecutor: How long did it take for first responders to arrive? Patrick: Four to five minutes. Prosecutor: Did you continue to talk to Lindsay? Patrick: She was in and out of consciousness. Prosecutor: You’re communicating information to the 911 operators over the phone. Once they arrived, what did you do? Patrick: Went to the basement. (Sprague displays a 3D animation of the home’s basement.) Prosecutor: When you come down the stairs, what did you see? Patrick: I went immediately to my left. I saw Cora. She had a band around her neck. Prosecutor: Do you recall what position she was in? Patrick: Face down. Prosecutor: What did you do? Patrick: I tried to take the band off. I untied it. Prosecutor: Do you recall that you described it as initially as being tied like a shoe, but not the bow? … Patrick: I saw Callan next to her (Cora). He had a band around his neck, same as Cora. Callan was to the left of Cora.

9:53 a.m. Patrick: I ran downstairs and went outside through the back sliding doors. I looked around the backyard and Lindsay in the backyard, face up. He says Lindsay was lying directly below his bedroom window; her head was closer to the house. Prosecutor: Did you observe injuries? Patrick: She had deep cuts on her wrists. She had a red line across her neck. Patrick: Do you recall that the wounds were not actively bleeding? Patrick: I don’t recall. Prosecutor: You didn’t need to apply pressure to any of those wounds? Patrick: Correct. He testifies that Lindsay said, “I tried to kill myself.” Patrick says he asked, “Where are the kids?” and Lindsay said, “They’re in the basement.” Prosecutor: At what point did you call 911? Patrick says it was difficult to connect the call due to poor cellphone reception, and he almost tried calling out to neighbors, but he did eventually get through.

9:47 a.m. Patrick recalls that the bed was out of its usual position and wind was blowing in through the window. He says he took one or two steps into the bedroom and saw blood was everywhere, “sprayed like a hose.” He says there was a puddle of blood in the middle of the room, and he noticed blood was on the doorknob.

9:46 a.m. When he didn’t get a response, Patrick says he started checking upstairs, beginning with the bathroom because he had thought the kids might be bathing. Then he says he checked the bedrooms and found his bedroom was locked. Patrick says when he unlocked the door to his bedroom, he saw blood everywhere and the window was open.

9:43 a.m. Prosecutor: What did you do inside the home? Patrick: Took off my boots and placed my bags on the kitchen island. Patrick recalls that the house was really quiet, which was unusual. He says he called out to everyone. He called down to the basement, but no one answered. He called out to Lindsay. He remembers he couldn’t see her car. Patrick says the basement door was shut, and when he opened it, he found the light was on. He says he called Lindsay’s phone at 6:09 p.m., but she didn’t answer.

9:39 a.m. Sprague displays pictures of the Clancy home — labeled as exhibits 32-38. Exhibit 38 shows the top right window of the home, and Patrick testifies that it is the window to his bedroom. He says the window to the left is the upstairs bathroom.

9:36 a.m. Patrick testifies that he went home after picking up the food order, a trek that took about 10 to 12 minutes. (It’s worth noting that the monitor on the defense table appears turned more toward attorney Reddington and not directly in front of Lindsay.)

9:32 a.m. Surveillance video is played that shows Patrick entering the restaurant to pick up his order. He is seen on his phone, a call he says was work-related. Patrick testifies that Lindsay called in the order and says his name and number on the order are accurate. The judge calls attorneys to sidebar.

9:26 a.m. Patrick says he stopped at CVS Pharmacy first. He says it took him about three minutes to get there, and he went straight to the pediatrics section of the pharmacy. Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague plays a video of Patrick entering the store. Phone records show Patrick called Lindsay at 5:33 p.m.; she did not answer, but she called back. During the brief call, Patrick said he said, “There’s a generic brand. Is this one OK?” Prosecutor: What was Lindsay’s demeanor? Patrick: She was quiet — it sounded like she was busy, like giving the kids a bath. After purchasing Pedialyte at CVS, Patrick said he went to the ThreeV restaurant.

9:23 a.m. Patrick is asked about his observations on Jan. 24, 2023, before he left the house to pick up take-out for dinner. Dawson is on the couch, eating chicken nuggets. He recalls a conversation with Lindsay about picking up stool softener for Cora. He recalls getting a text from Lindsay Clancy, his wife at the time, at 5:15 p.m.

9:22 a.m. Patrick Clancy takes the stand to continue his testimony from Monday. Jurors have their notepads out.

9:20 a.m. Judge William F. Sullivan queries the jury and is satisfied that jury members have followed his instructions about avoiding publicity around the case. It is announced that today and Thursday, the court will break for lunch at 1 p.m. and recess for the day between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. The jury will go on its view of the crime scene on Friday morning.

9:19 a.m. Case is called and jury is seated.

9:12 a.m. Court is in session; attorneys have been summoned to sidebar.