Lindsay Clancy Trial: Session Ends Abruptly After Testimony on Psychosis and TikToker
· Telemundo McAllen (KTLM)
Editor’s note: Testimony in this trial may be explicit and difficult for some to hear. A forensic doctor who treated Lindsay Clancy after she killed her three children concluded his testimony on Wednesday, following a brief delay at the start of the day. A TikToker was also questioned without the jury present, after which the judge ruled that the defense could not call her as a witness. After a lunch break, the judge excused the jury due to 'an unforeseen circumstance.' This comes a day after the jury heard from Clancy's former mother-in-law. On Tuesday, the jury in the Lindsay Clancy case viewed a reconstruction by the forensic pathologist of the Duxbury home and how Clancy was believed to have been injured, and heard from a doctor who helped Clancy call her husband from the hospital. Forensic psychologist Dr. Paul Zeizel, who spoke with Lindsay Clancy after the murders, returned to the stand to continue his testimony from Tuesday. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington questioned him about Lindsay's mental state in the weeks and months leading up to the murders and the multiple medications she had been prescribed. Reddington now inquired about the morning of January 24, 2023—the day of the murders—when Lindsay took her daughter to a medical appointment. Zeizel stated that being able to perform routine tasks is not unusual for someone in a 'psychotic state.' He also discussed how Lindsay made a snowman in the backyard with two of her children and searched for a restaurant on Google, in addition to discussing everyday tasks with her then-husband, including a trip to the pharmacy and ordering takeout. He noted that these actions are also consistent with someone in a psychotic state. Dr. Zeizel asserted that Lindsay Clancy 'did not understand the wrongness of her act,' stating that he administered a brief mental status exam and Hare's psychopathy checklist to determine if she had antisocial personality disorder, which she did not. He is now testifying about a study on postpartum psychosis symptoms and some of the symptoms Lindsay was experiencing. Zeizel indicated that Lindsay exhibited symptoms of depression and anxiety associated with postpartum psychosis. He also described her as feeling withdrawn, tired, and heavy, lacking energy. Additionally, she found it increasingly difficult to care for her children and maintain her personal hygiene. Lindsay also experienced intense confusion and complained of hearing things that did not exist, and was in a 'dissociated state,' Zeizel said. She was also restless and agitated, and was 'extremely' unable to sleep. At the time of the incident, Zeizel stated that he believes Lindsay was suffering from a mental defect. 'My opinion is that she indeed suffered from a mental illness or defect,' he said. 'She had bipolar disorder with postpartum psychosis. Furthermore, she was unable to conform her conduct to the law and did not understand the wrongness of her act.' Dr. Zeizel was cross-examined by the prosecution, who asked if he knew Reddington and had worked with him for several years, to which Zeizel responded affirmatively. The prosecutors also questioned Zeizel about his credentials as a forensic psychologist and the established standards for the position. 'With those standards, they are not mandatory, but people are encouraged to follow them, right?' asked Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham, and Zeizel agreed. Part of this is that forensic psychologists must be impartial. Buckingham noted that Zeizel has been involved in this case for 41 months and that he drafted a report and provided other reports and updates on Lindsay Clancy's condition over the years, including one from July 2025, which indicated that by that date, Lindsay was residing at Tewksbury Hospital and that a transfer to Worcester Recovery Center was planned. 'I don't know if it was a plan, but it was a hope or a goal,' Zeizel said. He also stated that she was in the process of tapering off all psychotropic medication and was improving. However, Buckingham pointed out that she remains at Tewksbury Hospital and is still taking psychotropic medication. Buckingham asked Dr. Zeizel about Lindsay Clancy's medications, which he said did not provide her relief. He stated that she also took three medications while in nursing school for glossophobia, the fear of public speaking. Buckingham noted that Zeizel maintained two medications during his Tuesday testimony and said that Lindsay took two medications instead of three while in nursing school. He also misstated one of the dates when Lindsay was hospitalized. The defense objected to a question from Buckingham, and the judge asked to approach the bench. Buckingham rephrased the question about whether Zeizel reviewed a report from forensic psychiatrist Dr. Phillip Resnick before reaching his conclusions. Zeizel said he 'glanced at it,' but did not review the full report. He also stated that he examined thousands of pages of Tewksbury Hospital records regarding Lindsay Clancy, but did not review every page. On May 26, 2023, what would have been Callan's first birthday, Buckingham asked if Zeizel remembered reading that Lindsay was wheeling herself down the hallway in her wheelchair and met with her mother. But Zeizel said he did not recall that specific incident. On September 30, 2023, what would have been Dawson's fourth birthday, Buckingham asked if Zeizel knew that Lindsay spent time watching television, using her phone, and visiting with family. Zeizel again stated that he did not remember seeing that. On January 24, 2024, the anniversary of the 2023 incident, Buckingham said they saw Lindsay taking medications and that she was 'pleasant during interactions,' and that she spent much of the morning in her room using electronic devices. And on May 26, 2024, again Callan's birthday, she also spent time using her phone and playing dominoes with other patients in the TV room. And on September 30, 2024, again Dawson's birthday, Lindsay was seen once more using her cell phone and socializing with her peers. And on December 24, 2024, what would have been Cora's seventh birthday, Lindsay was 'well-behaved' and met with her family. Zeizel said he did not remember all the specific details of these visits, but told Buckingham that he had no reason to doubt that they were part of the Tewksbury Hospital records he reviewed. Buckingham continued with other key dates in 2025, including the second anniversary of the incident and the birthdays of her children. The prosecution played a clip from a press conference on December 8, 2023, where Dr. Zeizel spoke alongside defense attorney Kevin Reddington. In the press conference, Zeizel described Lindsay Clancy as being in an 'unreal state,' saying: 'it feels like a dream.' He also spoke about the voices Lindsay was reportedly hearing. At that time, Zeizel stated he had met with Lindsay on three occasions but had not yet reviewed all her records. However, Buckingham said that Zeizel is testifying in court to the same conclusions, after reviewing all the information, as those he presented in the 2023 press conference. 'That was not an assessment of Mrs. Clancy. It was an assessment of people going through mental health crises,' Zeizel responded. The prosecution concluded its cross-examination, and Reddington resumed questioning Zeizel about 'confirmation bias,' meaning that a witness for a particular side might want to help with their testimony. But Reddington stated that Zeizel became involved 'out of compassion.' 'Do you care for her?' Reddington asked. 'Yes,' Zeizel said, noting that it is indeed recommended to establish a trusting relationship in order to evaluate a patient while maintaining independence. Zeizel also stated that his opinion is not based on money or helping Reddington or Lindsay Clancy. The attorneys are now speaking at the bench after the prosecution objected to a question from Reddington. TikToker Questioned Without Jury but Not Allowed to Testify A voir dire was held, a hearing conducted without the jury present to assess the admissibility of a witness or evidence, and to determine if the defense could call Emily Thorndike as a witness. Thorndike was a TikTok user and licensed clinical social worker who had previously worked at McLean Hospital, the psychiatric center in Bedford where Lindsay Clancy voluntarily admitted herself on December 31, 2022, several weeks before she attempted to kill her three children. She stated that she lived in New York but spent the summer in Cape Cod. 'I am that lucky.' Thorndike said she was only familiar with the case from what she had seen before being isolated after being contacted by Reddington as a potential witness. Thorndike had been following the Clancy trial and posting videos about it on TikTok, including a description of McLean Hospital that was very different from what the prosecutors had presented. She testified about her years of work at McLean and said that what she heard while watching testimony about the hospital staff during the holidays did not match her experience. She recorded a TikTok in response, stating that what was discussed in court was not her experience. Thorndike said that during the trial, it was mentioned that there was individual therapy in the unit, and she asserted that there was not, and also stated that on weekends and holidays, there was only one doctor to see all patients, and that some of those consultations lasted only a few minutes and there were no in-depth sessions. Reddington said he saw Thorndike's TikTok and had his investigator locate her and obtain her contact information. The prosecution then questioned Thorndike about her experience and her role at McLean Hospital. The prosecutors asked her how many days of the trial she had seen, and she said that the testimony of Patrick Clancy's friends was perhaps the last she managed to see. They also asked Thorndike what the staffing levels might have been when Lindsay was at McLean, as by then Thorndike no longer worked there. Thorndike said she only had general information about what staffing was like in the past. The prosecution finished questioning Thorndike, and she left the stand. Reddington then argued that Thorndike had the academic training and experience, was well aware of the staffing ratios at McLean, and should be allowed to testify. 'I am not looking to bring her in to discredit McLean Hospital. They have already done a good job of that on their own,' he said. Reddington stated that he only wanted Thorndike to testify that McLean was not the 'wonderful' place described during previous testimonies. The prosecutors opposed the witness, noting that McLean's records documented Lindsay Clancy's interactions and treatment, and that Thorndike would not provide any information that was not already in the records. They stated that Thorndike did not work on weekends and did not have pertinent information for this case. 'The best evidence is the records themselves,' said Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham. The judge stated that he was considering two issues: the late disclosure of the witness and the analysis under Rule 403, which pertains to relevant evidence. 'First, I find this witness credible, but that is not always everything in this decision,' he said, noting that he had to evaluate the prevention of surprises. However, he indicated that the prosecutors had known for a week, so that did not apply. He said that the prejudice to the prosecution was limited. But he stated that the relevance of the testimony was limited because Thorndike had not worked at McLean for a year. 'That testimony has quite limited value,' he said. And the judge said he did not recall any 'five-star rating' of McLean during previous testimonies, as Reddington had suggested. He also considered that the incorporated records from McLean in recent days spoke to staffing levels on holidays and non-holidays. So any information about whether they were working with 'minimal staffing' was already reflected in the records. The judge ultimately denied the request to call the witness but allowed the defense to present records regarding McLean's staffing. He said he would issue a written ruling. In the end, there were no further testimonies. Judge William Sullivan told the jury that an 'unforeseen circumstance' meant they would be excused earlier than expected. 'This was not something we saw coming,' he said, adding that they should not blame anyone in the case, as it was beyond their control. Prosecutors allege that Lindsay strangled her children—Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months—on January 24, 2023, at their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, after sending her then-husband, Patrick, on an errand. She then jumped from the second-floor window of the home and, from the fall, was left paralyzed from the waist down. The defense claims she was under the influence of bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible. Watch a live stream of the court hearings in the video player above.
AI summary · Source: Telemundo McAllen (KTLM) →
