Lindsay Clancy's Ex Spills Shocking Secrets Before Kids' Deaths

Um, Cora was into princesses. And, um, she had a lot of friends. Patrick Clancy finally breaking his silence, taking the stand in the trial against his former wife, Lindsay Clancy. She described thoughts of, of hurting the kids. The father describes the heartbreaking moment he last saw his three children alive. I, um, took Callan for a minute and I rocked him by my knees, kissed Cora on the head, and, um, I still bury it back. This is Scandal, presented by Law & Crime. I'm Sierra Gillespie. Thank you, Your Honor. Come off calls Patrick Clancy. He's the witness we've all been waiting for. Patrick Clancy. The father whose three young children were killed back in January 2023 at the hands of his then-wife, Lindsay Clancy. He's been lauded as the prosecution's star witness. The person who can give true insight into what happened that fateful day in January 2023. But since his three young children, five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan were killed, Patrick has been steadfast. Lindsay Clancy is not. A murderer. It's a strange dichotomy to have the Commonwealth's star witness backing the defendant in the case, saying she acted out of a mental health break. But that's just what happened when Patrick Clancy took the stand as the first witness in the trial. Um, over that period of time, she always, she just kept getting worse and worse. Um, that was really where her big spiral started. But the day of the alleged murders started off normally. No, she was, she was having one of her best days. The Clancy family made national headlines back in January of 2023 when Patrick returned to his upscale home in Duxbury, Massachusetts to find a horrific scene. All three of his children had been killed, strangled to death with exercise bands. Their mother, then 32-year-old Lindsay, accepts full responsibility, saying she killed the children amid a mental health break. When Patrick returned home, he found Lindsay outside on the frozen ground. She jumped from a second-story window in an attempt to end her life. She survived the jump and the slashes to her wrists and neck, but she's permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Lindsay has since pleaded not guilty to three murder charges, citing the Massachusetts Commonwealth statute regarding criminal responsibility. It's kind of similar to the insanity defense. Lindsay Clancy's team says she isn't criminally responsible for the alleged murders because she wasn't in the right mind. Based on this Commonwealth statute, the prosecution has the entire burden of proof to convince a jury she was of sound mind and did commit the alleged crimes with premeditation in a deliberate act. Now, the prosecution began their arguments by calling the person closest to the case, Patrick Clancy, her ex-husband, who described Lindsay's demeanor the day the children died. That statement is. Chilling. Given it's the same day Lindsay would strangle their three children in what the prosecution calls murder. But before they could dive into all of that, the Commonwealth began by giving jurors some background on Lindsay and Patrick. Where did you meet the defendant? Um, in South Boston. And when was that? I think it was, um, May 2013. And how did you meet her? Through my cousin. And, um, would it be accurate to state that your cousin had been college roommates of the defendant? Yes. And at some point in time, did you start dating? Yes. And around what time was that? July 2013. Did you eventually move in together? Yes. Do you remember when that was? September 2015. Patrick and Lindsay were married in December 2016. And welcomed their first. child, a daughter, Cora, in December 2017. Going back to after Cora was born, do you recall the defendant having any physical issues after the birth? Yeah. And what were those? Um, I think there was a lot of tearing. And she bled a lot. Did it take her a while to recover physically? I would say so, yeah. Okay. Did she, um, have maternity leave at that time? Yes. Where was she working? Mass General Hospital. And what was she doing there? She was a labor and delivery nurse. At that point in time, when she had Cora in 2017, how long had she been a nurse? Uh, three years, maybe? And, um, do you recall how long her maternity leave was with Cora? Um, there was a couple of years, I think. Okay. So, um, do you recall how long her maternity leave was with Cora? Uh, there was a couple of years, yeah. Uh, there was a couple of years, I think. I think I'm going to start taking Zoloft. And did she tell you why she wanted to start taking Zoloft? She said, I think it's really going to help with my anxiety and with going back to work. And did she tell you how she was going to go about getting Zoloft? Yeah, I asked her, how are you going to get Zoloft? It's a prescription, and she said, you know, usually just ask the doctor and they'll give it to you. And did she tell you that she was going to see a psychiatrist? Yeah, I believe so. And did you notice any changes in her emotionally during that time when she was on it, but you weren't aware she was on it? Yeah, she wasn't really improving. She just kind of seemed to be gradually becoming more in like a depressed state. And how was that manifesting? What were you noticing? It was just small things. I was planning a trip with Cora to San Francisco, and she was nervous about us going. And I remember we went to a Halloween event, and just leading up to it, I remember she was, it just kind of seemed like she didn't want to go for some reason. As fall 2022 went on, Patrick says Lindsay's symptoms got worse and worse. And so during that time frame, was she telling you that she was still having trouble sleeping? Yes. But you weren't actually down there watching her sleep. You're getting this information from her, correct? Correct. Were you aware that out of the Zoloft prescription she was given, she only took seven pills? No. After you had the conversation with Lindsay where she said she was going to double the dose of Zoloft, did you notice any difference in her demeanour or behaviour? I would say yes. I don't know if I connected it with the doubling of her Zoloft, but over that period of time, she always, she just kept getting worse and worse. This next part is worth noting. Lindsay's mother-in-law, Patrick's mom, recommended she visit the South Shore Hospital for some more care. And prosecutors really zeroed in on this and the medication she was prescribed during this time and how many pills she took of each prescription. And so looking in Exhibit 2, we have the Zoloft that was prescribed by Dr. Tufts and filled on September 15th, 2022. And I think I asked you earlier. You weren't aware that only seven pills were taken out of this, correct? That's correct. Okay. And then there's another prescription in here for Ativan that was filled on October 26th, 2022. Were you aware that only six pills were taken out of that bottle? Can you say the date again? October 26th, 2022. And how many did it start with? Let's see. I don't have the exact numbers on how many she took. But there was. Yeah. Okay. But there were adjustments made on the dosage of the Ativan. Mm-hmm. So that aligns with what happened. But the question was, were you aware that only six pills were taken out of this prescription? No, but I think the context is important. Okay. I wasn't keeping track of the number of pills taken out of each bottle, so. By Thanksgiving 2022, things were only getting worse. She was in rough shape. Rough shape? Yeah. How so? She wasn't talking much. She had low energy. She was really depressed. I just remember when she showed up, my sister-in-law gave her a big hug. And she was able to get through dinner, eat dinner with everyone? Yeah. Okay. She interacted with people, is that correct? I would say very little, but to some degree, sure. And she took care of the kids with you while she was there? We both took care of the kids together. Okay. On December 6th, 2022, Lindsay started another mental health prescription. This time, reportedly Seroquil. And do you recall how she was physically after starting the Seroquil? Awful. How so? That was really where her big spiral started. She started to lose a lot of weight. And she became very depressed. And she was having a really hard time. And did she describe to you some thoughts or feelings that she was having at that time? Yeah. She started to say she was suicidal. And when she told you she was suicidal, did you ask her if she had a plan on how to kill herself? Yes. And what was her response? She said no. And did she ever mention a specific way or plan she had to kill herself to you? No. And at some point in time, did she tell you that this was the first time she had had suicidal thoughts? I don't know if she mentioned it was the first time or not. I just remember her saying she had them. Had you ever heard her say that to you before, that she was having suicidal thoughts? No. But Lindsay reportedly wasn't only having thoughts of harming herself. What's your reaction when she tells you that she's having these suicidal thoughts? I just wanted to support her. I asked those questions back to her. And her mother was coming up pretty regularly anyway. So we let them know. And we just tried to be there for her. We just tried to be supportive. Did she also tell you at that time, at the beginning of December, that she was having some other intrusive thoughts? Yeah. Is that how she described them or how you described them, intrusive thoughts? I would say both. Okay. And when she told you that she was having intrusive thoughts, did you ask her what they were? Yeah. She described thoughts of hurting the kids. Or having, or them having some sort of ailment. So like she was very worried that Cora had, whenever she had a stomachache, she became overly worried that she was, you know, like had like a liver problem or something much more dramatic than it was. Okay. But going back to that first part, she said she had thoughts of harming the kids. Is that correct? Yeah. And did she tell you whether or not she had specific thoughts of how she would be treated? Did she tell you whether or not she would harm the kids? No. And she didn't describe that as hearing this external voice telling her to harm the kids, correct? Correct. She told you she was having intrusive thoughts herself of having, of harming the children, correct? Correct. And as a result of her telling you this, that she had thoughts of harming the kids, what did you do? Her parents came up and I think I asked her at some point, you know, did you have any thoughts of harming the kids? And, you know, do you feel like you need to be kept away from them? And she said no. And then, you know, it was very confusing because a minute later she was making them lunch or playing with them or, you know, getting them ready for bed or whatever it was. So it was confusing in that she wasn't physically harming them at the time but was having, had had these thoughts? Is that what you're saying? Right. I never saw Lindsay harm the kids. Were you concerned for the kids' safety at that time? No, I wasn't. And why not? Because she wasn't showing any intention of harming the kids. On December 31st, 2022, Lindsay was taken to MassGen Hospital for suicidal ideations. The next day, she was taken to McLean Hospital, a psychiatric facility just west of Boston. She was treated there for several days but released on January 5th, 2023, just in time for Cora's birthday party. Cora, correct? Yes. Can you tell us a little bit about what Cora was like in January of 2023, what her interests were? I'm going to object at this point. Counsel, can I see your sidebar? What you can't see in this moment is Patrick Clancy breaking down on the stand, literally bawling in court. The judge has ordered us to record only the seal during sidebars so we didn't get it on camera. But our photographer in the courtroom. told me personally, Patrick Clancy was breaking down and you can hear it in his voice as he discusses his kids. So, sir, if you could just tell us a little bit about Cora's interests at that time. Cora was into princesses. And she had a lot of friends. And she just liked taking care of people. And shall we do it with Dawson, correct? Yes. What kind of things was Dawson interested in? Using the firefighters and trucks. And he liked Paw Patrol. Exhibit 11. Alice. He was only 8 months old, correct? Correct. Did he have any of his stories? He was just a happy baby. A happy baby. And then, just showing you the exhibit 12, does this picture clearly indicate their sizes in relation to each other in January 2023? Yes. During this time, Patrick says he kept close tabs on Lindsay, asking her how she slept and if she had any thoughts of, like, self-harm or harming the kids. He says she seemed okay, and was even able to do everyday things, like visit a science museum and go out to dinner. And how was the defendant's demeanor at the restaurant? It was good. I was hopeful. Why were you hopeful? Because she seemed much better. And then, on January 14th, 2023, were you able to go to Brunswick? Did you go to Brunswick with your friends while the defendant was home with the children? Yeah. And about how long were you gone? About two hours. Were there any issues or problems that you were aware of while you were gone? No. She encouraged me to go. She said, you've just been inside a lot. You should go out. And it was fine. And while you were there at brunch, did she send you photos of the kids and text messages? I think so, yeah. Just ten days before the children were killed, Patrick says he felt safe leaving Lindsay alone with the kids. And everything went fine. He reportedly got brunch with his friends and came home to find the kids healthy and happy. A few days later, on January 16th, he says he left the boys home alone with Lindsay and went skiing alone with Cora. And you felt comfortable leaving Callan and Dawson home with her that day? Yeah. And why is that? She seemed okay. She seemed to be doing a lot better. In what ways did she seem to be doing better? Her mood seemed better. She was more active. And she was able to partake in more things. Were you hopeful at that time that things were getting better? Yeah. Did Lindsay's parents visit you the weekend of January 21st through the 22nd? Yeah. And whose idea was that, do you recall? I think it was theirs. I think they were just coming to visit to say hi. Okay. And what did you guys do that weekend? We just hung out and went to a friend's house on Sunday. They left after we got back from there. They seemed to be doing better that weekend, correct? Overall, yeah. Were you aware that her mother had sent her a text saying something to the effect of, I'm glad you're doing so much better? I became aware of that later, yeah. But that text is even more eerie now, because it was sent just days before the kids were killed on January 24th, 2023. Patrick told jurors what the morning was like that day. And who took her to the doctor's appointment? Lindsay. And did anyone have to go with her, or did she drive herself and Cora there? It was just Lindsay and Cora. And you were home with the boys, is that right? Yeah. And while you're with the boys, and Lindsay's with Cora at the doctor's, are you sending text messages and photos back and forth? Yeah. And why did you send a photo of Dawson to Lindsay that morning? Because he dressed himself completely for the first time. And he was excited about that? Yeah. And did she respond back with a photo of Cora? Yeah. And while you were texting with Lindsay back and forth, were you able to understand her text messages? Yeah. Did she seem to understand yours in response? Yes. Did she return home? Yes. And do you recall around what time she got home that morning? 8.30. And once she got home, what did you do? I think I got ready for work. And while you were downstairs working in your office, do you know what Lindsay and the kids were doing? They built a snowman, and they did some art projects. And how did you know this was happening? She texted me a picture. So Lindsay was continuing to text you and send you photographs throughout that day? Yeah, and I went up to say hi at one point. Okay. Listen to how Patrick describes Lindsay's demeanor that day. How was Lindsay's mood? She seemed happy. Happy? And how could you tell that? What was she doing? She was playing with the kids, and she seemed in a good mood. At any point during that day when you came up or while she's texting you, did she tell you she was having suicidal thoughts? No. Did she? Did she tell you she was having thoughts of harming the kids? No. Did she ask for help or anything that caused concern? No, she was having one of her best days. One of her best days? Yeah. At 4.53 p.m. that day, Lindsay reportedly texted Patrick, asking if they could get takeout because she hadn't made any plans for dinner. She suggested a restaurant in Plymouth, about a 20-minute drive away. Had you ever done takeout from there before? No. Where would you typically do takeout when you were going to do takeout at home? The Chestnut Grill. I think another one was West End Grill. Were those closer than 3V to your home? Yeah. So Lindsay suggested 3V, and you agreed. Is that correct? Yeah. This is really important testimony for the prosecution's case. They allege Lindsay Clancy acted with premeditation, specifically sending Patrick to a further restaurant so she had more time to carry out her plot to kill the children. In their openings, the Commonwealth even pointed to Lindsay's Apple Maps searches, calculating how far the Clancy home in Duxbury was from the 3V restaurant in Plymouth. Prosecutors say she wanted Patrick out of the house so she could murder the children. They also say, leading up to the alleged murders, she was of sound mind, acting completely. completely normal. While on the stand, Patrick described the heartbreaking last moments he shared with his children. I came upstairs, I took Callan for a minute, and I rocked him by my knees, kissed Cora on the head, and I still carry it back. And what was Dawson doing when you were leaving? He was eating chicken nuggets on the couch. And did she have Callan, or where was Callan? She had Callan. And what was her demeanor? Normal. And that's where testimony ended on Monday. Patrick Clancy leaving the house to pick up takeout for dinner. He doesn't yet know he will return home to find his life completely flipped upside down. That testimony is sure to be heartbreaking. Patrick will likely recount the moments he found Lindsay outside of the home and the three children in the basement with exercise bands wrapped around their necks. After that, the defense is expected to ask him both cross-exam questions and questions about their case, which is very important. When I spoke to the defense last week in person, they told me Patrick Clancy will be called only once. That's to prevent him from further mental anguish. That means the defense will have special circumstances to ask him questions about their case in addition to cross-examination. Now, court will reconvene on Wednesday, and you can expect the testimony to be shocking upsetting, heart-wrenching. Make sure to follow along with Law and Crime Network. We're going to be live streaming this trial with gavel-to-gavel coverage. And that is where today's episode of Scandal leaves us. If you like what you saw and you want to see more, connect with me on social media. You can find me on places like Instagram at Sierra Gillespie. Thanks for watching today's episode of Scandal. As always, I'm your host, Sierra Gillespie, and I'll see you next time. you