LIVE UPDATES: Prosecutors and defense attorney give closing arguments in Lindsay Clancy murder trial

Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial is underway in Massachusetts. The 36-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 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.

11:09 a.m. She did not take all the drugs at the same time. most of the time it was 2 medications. Saathoff has treated women, medication trials were reasonable. if the medication didn’t work, they stopped and tried something. Providers rely on what patients tell them. Every patient reacts to medication differently. Even if you believe that the medication affected her – they were out of her system by the time she leaves McLean. She leaves McLean because she wanted to be at Cora’s party. She wanted to be the mom. They couldn’t keep her. Every doctor she saw none of them saw no signs of psychosis.They let her go home.

11:06 a.m. She wants help but turns it away because she wants it in a certain way. September through December she’s interacting with them in public spaces, public ways, she’s able to conform her behavior to the law. Telling mandated reporters that she’s having thoughts of harming her kids, she knew that wrong. She conformed her behavior with the law because she knew it was wrong. She told tufts no, every day at mclean she said no, not only is she hiding it, lying, she’s controlling the behavior she presents to her providers.

11:02 a.m. Patrick was the one who said overmedication was the issue. There’s a difference between an adverse effect and overmedication. They told her they weren’t sure it was postpartum. They offered her 3 programs. They offered her a partial hospitalization program, they put a lot of thought. It’s the exact opposite of turning her away. She goes to Dr. tufts, and didn’t discuss the programs with Tufts.

10:55 a.m. She had health insurance that covered multiple doctors, hospitals. She 18 weeks of maternity leave. This wasn’t a woman who lacked resources and care. she had an abundance, doesn’t mean she wasn’t struggling. She had depression. Her providers were doing the best they could. Her level of cooperation – you know from the records, sometimes it didn’t align with what she told pat, her mother. zoloft go up after 7 days. she didn’t tell dr. tufts accurate information. She took the medication for 7 days and didn’t increase it, or not take it as described. Either scenario is not good. There’s a lack of compliance, lack of communication with her providers.

10:54 a.m. Jennifer Sprague – there’s no dispute that she tried to kill herself. CW experts say she tried to kill herself. the issue is at the time, she knew the difference between right and wrong. not about mental health, that’s a distraction. What’s on trial is what she did and what her mental state was at the time.

10:47 a.m. She didn’t want to go back to work because she loved her children. Raises a scene from The shining. What does she have to do – she was reaching out for help and not getting it. She turns herself to McLEan’s hospital. Govt. bears the burden of proof. The last record is 5:38. What happen to the phone. She didn’t want him out of the house. how long is he going to gone. she google Time – why is that nefarious. Now we know what a mess her brain is – that’s the eivdence. There’s no evidence that she’s lying, no evidence that she’s malingering. voices were inside her head. Resnick says 38 percen- it’s there burden not ours. End of Defense closing.

10:42 a.m. In the opening statement she was a hard charging manipulating women. You’ll see that the dates – how she felt, how much she took. November to December, writes, repeatedly horrible thoughts, deeply depressed. In January while she’s on these drugs, she’s suffering and you have these women. We have doctors that come in and talk about a 4 week cutoff for post partum.

10:36 a.m. We’re 3 weeks from the trial the guy says he wanted to establish a rapport. You know that this is doctor number 3, to come in and evaluate. There’s no rapport, she was cooperative. She had the interviews and the MPPI, they’re questioning this young lady as to what her state of mind. She’s minimizing and off the charts on suicide. These doctors came in and testified. Phil Resnick, he has the world record in treating women who killed their children. he has a world renowned record for checking malingering. He met with Lindsay, looked at all the records – and he stated that she was in a state of psychosis.

10:32 a.m. Questioned for hours by Mack and Heilbrun, she was pleasant, cooperative. you have the video to look at. She’s questioned 3 years after. I saw her in her bed broken, I asked Paul to talk to her as she lay there hurting, swollen and medicated. Paul went to see her. He’s there he has been by her side for 3.5 years. Why would Sheila visit her. She loves Lindsay. she’s a good kid.

10:27 a.m. This woman lived for her kids until she ran into Dr. Tufts with 2 months experience. What does tufts do? Take more pills. Until September – hard working mother, hard working nurse, manipulation of these things, manipulation of Paul Zeizel. She was there for 8 days before Paul, they would be in here she saw a psychologist. She told Sheila first that she heard voices. Then you got the rebuttal guys. They don’t see her for years.

10:20 a.m. She is intubated, she has massive massive..when someone comes out of surgery they’re delusional.Think about the trauma, unable to feel the lower Half of their body, then the hospital has a meeting. Pat was no longer her health proxy that’s why she had to ask for a lwyerer like a human being. One of the things they were concerned about what’s even more nefarious Paul Zeizel. I called him. I was with Pat a night or two after the incident, picking evidence the police didn’t see. (Holding up the drawer with medication) One of the things that they found, ‘Good Mom has Scary Thoughts’ You have evidence of sleep aids,

10:14 a.m. She tried to kill herself, now they back off. Watch the manipulation. Remember the argument about the bands. What did Patrick testify to? He indicated they were knotted around the necks of those children. He struggled to get it over his head. Shows the manipulation. This prosecution is a mess. She did not tie a knot in the proper way – 4 or 5 seconds. As we move on Lindsay. Her throat was crushed. She didn’t have conversation. Police investigation. Did they test the blood, They will stand there while she’s chained to the bed while she’s paralyzed. They’re going to make sure she doesn’t run away – what kind of treatment she got from the health care providers.

10:10 a.m. You saw the evidence, slashing her wrists, her neck, threw herself out of the window. why did we spend almost a week showing you the extent and severity of that suicide attempt. they were arguing that it was a fake suicide. Dinky cuts, sliding down the house. she screwed up she hurt herself bad. she made a very significant suidice attempt. isn’t it interesting when you consider objective evidence. Googling drugs, side effects, ketamine treatments, effects of these drugs – on and on. Obviously she wasn’t consuming taking them all at the same time. she was religious in her obligation to take care of her health. she went to dr. tufts shen she was a young lady. respected nurse, wife, friend, we’re going to assassinate this young lady. concerned – evidence she wasn’t drinking when she was breastfeeding.

10:08 a.m. You know that this young lady – I don’t have clients like that – did nothing wrong in her life. She was nurse, daughter, wife and a darn good mother. You’ll have all these exhibits. You can see the Facebook, a son that they would say she killed him first…Pat the kids having a great time that summer. she had to go back to work. Watch the evidence, watch the manipulation. How does that happen, very beginning, 1st 911 call. You could hear the voice of Pat Clancy the father what he had experienced. You can see the evidence the injuries that she suffered.

10:07 a.m.The government has the burden of proof. Prove she is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, that Lindsay at the time she killed her children was not suffering from a disease that caused her to lack appreciation.

10:02 a.m. Defense is going first Closing by Reddington:
Reddington thanks the jury for their service – listened to evidence, you have been attentive.
When you consider what’s at stake here, Cora, Dawson, Callan they are the victims. They are the victims – proof beyond a reasonable doubt. This is a prosecution that has ripped the soul out of this girl. Damn medicine and the lousy care that she got. All the experts say they heard voices, she made chicken McNuggets. How was this woman acting in her right mind when these children were killed. When you consider the evidence in this case, who is the defendant as the government refers to her.

9:59 a.m. Judge instructs on elements Manslaughter-
1) The def caused the death of Cora, Callan, Dawson
2) The def intended the conduct to cause the death
3) The def conduct was wanton or reckless.
May consider impairment from drugs/medication

9:56 a.m. Judge instructs on 2nd degree murder

9:48 a.m. Jury can find the def guilty of 1st degree murder based on 2 theories 1) premeditation 2) with extreme atrocity/cruelty. Jury can consider impairment by prescription drugs.

9:45 a.m. Judge instructs on elements of 1st degree murder:
1) def caused the death of Cora, Dawson, Callan
2) def intended to kill C, D, and C
3) def killed with premeditation after a period of deliberate reflection. (May consider the influence of medication impairment)

1st degree of murder with extreme atrocity or cruelty

1) Def caused the death Cora, Dawson, Callan
2) Def intended to kill or grievous bodily harm creating the likelihood that death would result
3) Def committed with extreme atrocity or cruelty – manner of means of inflicting death
(May consider impairment by drugs)

9:43 a.m. Judge discusses how the def will be treated if she is found not criminally responsible. She will be confined to a Bridgewater sTate hospital until such time as a judge decides she is no longer a danger to herself or others. That confinement could last for the rest of her life and her discharge can only be determined by a judge.

9:40 a.m. Judge: CW must prove beyond a reasonable that the def knew and could appreciate the wrongfulness. Not enough that she knew. Commonwealth’s burden must prove – at the time of the alleged crime 1) Def did not suffer mental disease, 2) If she did she could not appreciate the wrongfulness of her conduct or that she could not conform her actions to the requirements of the law.

9:37 a.m. Judge: The Commonwealth must prove beyond the reasonable doubt that the def committed the crime also that she is criminally responsible. A person is not criminally responsible if she has a mental disease and due to the mental disease or defect she could not appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions, or that she could not conform her actions to the requirements of the law.

9:32 a.m. Judge tells the jury that they will have a copy of the instructions to read along. He says he’ll break them up in 2 parts. The first part of the instructions will focus on the indictment and after closings there will be further instructions.

9:28 a.m. Court is in session. Judge greets the lawyers and the defendant. Lindsay Clancy responds, “Good morning your honor.”

9:19 a.m. Court is expected to be in session shortly. It’s a packed courtroom with all available seats taken. The 2nd row behind the prosecutors normally mostly empty is filled with shoulder to shoulder law enforcement. More than 50 media people have signed up to cover the proceeding, limiting the number of seats reserved for members of the public who have stood in line for hours for a chance to get inside the courtroom, those who don’t make it in are directed to an overflow room.