Updated on: August 7, 2026 / 4:21 PM EDT
/ CBS Boston
Psychiatrists who treated Lindsay Clancy before she killed her three young children in Duxbury, Massachusetts, on Jan. 24, 2023, testified in her high-profile murder trial on Friday.
Clancy is facing first-degree murder charges in the deaths of 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan. The defense says she was overmedicated and suffering from an extreme episode of postpartum psychosis when she strangled the children.
Dr. Jennifer Tufts, Clancy's first psychiatrist, took the stand just before 12:30 p.m. Clancy had begun seeing Tufts in September of 2022.
Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague began by questioning Tufts about whether Clancy had tried medication before, specifically during her time in nursing school. Tufts testified that Clancy had reported trying an SSRI and did not report any side effects while taking it.
Sprague asked Tufts if Clancy ever said she was hearing voices telling her to hurt herself, hurt other people, or kill someone. Tufts said that Clancy answered "No" to all of them.
Tufts testified that Clancy's biggest concern was anxiety when she came in originally, and she had recommended she go to individual therapy and take sertraline, otherwise known as Zoloft. She said that Clancy was concerned about side effects from the medication.
"I recall that she was generally reluctant to take medications, but at this point she was considering it and was interested in learning about what medications might be helpful for her," Tufts said.
Clancy had also said she had tried Zoloft while she was postpartum with her second child, Tufts testified. Tufts said Clancy told her that she had some common side effects, such as appetite issues and upset stomach, when she initially took the medication.
During a follow-up appointment later in September, Tufts said that Clancy had told her she elected not to take the Zoloft because she was able to sleep a bit more.
Sprague read a message from September 30, 2022 from the online medical portal that Clancy used to contact Dr. Tufts about needing to extend her maternity leave from work.
"… While I am just feeling better enough to function without medication. I did reach out to my employer about extending my leave for reasons of post-partum anxiety/depression. I don't feel mentally well enough to return to taking care of patients with a baby at home that still won't take the bottle. I know this will trigger my anxiety too much, and also having to stay up all night as a nurse, I don't feel it's possible right now …"
Clancy then saw Tufts the first week of October to fill out the form required to extend her leave. After the appointment, Clancy began to take the Zoloft.
At their fourth appointment together, Tufts noted that Clancy appeared depressed. Tufts testified that Clancy was concerned about developing suicidal thoughts in the future.
"She was feeling pretty poorly after starting the Zoloft, so we were following her closely," Tufts testified.