Jurors were dismissed early Thursday after hearing from just one witness in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, as the defense continued its effort to show the Duxbury mother was suffering from severe mental illness when her three children were killed.
The testimony comes as Clancy's attorneys argue she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible for the deaths of her three children. Prosecutors contend the killings were planned and deliberate.
The trial is expected to resume Friday, with the judge indicating it will likely be a longer day for jurors. It's unclear if the defense plans to call any more witnesses before resting, while the prosecution can still call rebuttal witnesses.
Attorneys from both sides continued meeting with the judge later Thursday to discuss potential jury instructions as the closely watched case moves toward its final stages.
LIVESTREAM: Day 17 of the Lindsay Clancy murder trial
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington called Sheila Cavanaugh, a board-certified chaplain at Brigham and Women's Hospital, to the stand.
Cavanaugh testified that she has worked at the hospital for the past seven years and has visited Clancy at least 14 times since the January 2023 killings.
According to Cavanaugh, Clancy repeatedly discussed hearing a male voice that allegedly instructed her to kill her children and then take her own life.
"She alluded to having heard a voice and the voice, according to Lindsay, told her that if she did not follow the command, neither she nor her children would be safe," Cavanaugh testified.
Cavanaugh also told jurors that during one of their earliest interactions, Clancy appeared confused about what had happened.
The chaplain testified that the first thing Clancy said to her was, "I'm so glad my children are safe."
During cross-examination, prosecutors challenged the reliability of Cavanaugh's testimony, pointing out that her written notes from visits with Clancy did not include references to the alleged voice.
"All of these notes that detail every time you interacted with her. You never once wrote that she told you she heard a voice or what that voice said. Correct?" a prosecutor asked.
Prosecutors also questioned Cavanaugh about her recollection of conversations with Clancy during her recovery at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, highlighting details Cavanaugh said she could not remember.
Before court returned to session, hundreds of people gathered to show support for Clancy.
