A hospital chaplain admitted she never wrote down Lindsay Clancy's claims about hearing a commanding voice.
That bombshell moment rocked Plymouth Superior Court on Thursday as the murder trial of the Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three young children continued with explosive testimony. Clancy faces three counts of murder for the January 2023 deaths of 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan in their Duxbury home, according to reports.
Sheila Cavanaugh, a chaplain at Brigham and Women's Hospital, was the only witness called Thursday. She visited Clancy approximately 14 times following the killings and Clancy's fall from a second-story window, which left her partially paralyzed. Cavanaugh recalled first seeing the defendant on January 25, 2023, describing her as intubated, wearing a neck brace, and surrounded by medical equipment keeping her alive.
The chaplain shared what she called Clancy's first words after the breathing tubes came out. Clancy reportedly said, "I am so glad my children are safe." Cavanaugh responded by telling her that her children were indeed safe, "in Heaven with God."
Here is where it gets really interesting. Cavanaugh testified that Clancy referenced a persistent male voice that allegedly commanded her to act, warning that neither she nor her children would be safe if she disobeyed. Cavanaugh said the topic of this voice surfaced multiple times during their hospital visits.
Then prosecutor Shanan Buckingham dropped the hammer. Buckingham pointed out that Cavanaugh kept extremely detailed written notes of every single meeting. And in those meticulous records? Not one mention of this mysterious voice. Cavanaugh confirmed that was accurate.
This pattern has become the prosecution's sharpest weapon. Defense witnesses keep describing auditory hallucinations and psychological breakdown after the fact, but the actual medical documentation from the relevant time period tells a very different story.
Forensic psychologist Dr. Paul Zeizel, who met with Clancy dozens of times, previously testified that she experienced intrusive thoughts and voices commanding her to take her own life in the weeks before the killings. But when Buckingham pressed him on the clinical records spanning September 2022 through late January 2023, Zeizel conceded those reports of hearing voices simply do not appear anywhere in the documentation. He also acknowledged that Clancy has not reported hearing any voices since the 2023 incident.
Prosecutors even introduced hospital notes from Tewksbury State Hospital, where Clancy is currently held, covering the anniversaries of her children's deaths and birthdays. Staff recorded zero unusual behavioral health concerns on those emotionally significant dates.
Clancy's defense team, led by attorney Kevin Reddington, acknowledges she caused the deaths but argues severe postpartum psychosis stripped her of the ability to understand her actions were wrong. Reddington described his client as "so beat up, and so sad" entering court Thursday.
Supporting witnesses have included Clancy's former mother-in-law, Susan Clancy, a veteran labor and delivery nurse who described her as an incredibly loving and nurturing mother. Dr. Donald Condie reviewed outpatient records showing symptoms consistent with postpartum depression, including anxiety and cognitive difficulties.
Pink-shirted supporters gathered outside both the courthouse and Tewksbury State Hospital on Thursday. Judge William Sullivan sent the jury home early for the second consecutive day following procedural interruptions, but indicated Friday would feature a fuller schedule as the defense approaches the conclusion of its case.
The core battle is now crystal clear. The prosecution keeps finding gaps between what Clancy and her supporters claim happened inside her mind and what the paper trail actually shows.
Like what you see? Then sign up for our Free Newsletter
