If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
DUXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS: A mother who has been accused of killing her three children before attempting suicide may spend up to six months in a state-run mental health institution, officials said. In January 2023, Lindsay Clancy, 32, allegedly strangled her children -- eight-month-old Callan, son Dawson, 3, and daughter Cora, 5, in the family's Duxbury, Massachusetts, home, located about 35 miles south of Boston.
The killer mother reportedly leaped out of the home's second-story window, sustaining a major spine injury, and is now paralyzed from the waist down, as per Boston 25. According to Clancy's attorney Kevin Reddington, she was overmedicated on drugs and experienced postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings.
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How long will Clancy remain in the hospital?
Midwife Lindsay Clancy will continue to receive mental health care at the Tewksbury State Hospital, where she was admitted on May 2. Clancy could continue there under section 18, until November 10, when the hold permitting her to be at the medical facility rather than in jail is set to end. The court granted the stay on Wednesday and the 32-year-old mother withdrew the right to make an appearance at the hearing.
Clancy faces charges of two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation, and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. She appeared in her arraignment hearing through Zoom in February, where she was pictured wearing a face mask and lying lifeless in a hospital bed. Clancy is presently detained without bail. Her next court hearing has been scheduled on July 25. According to the prosecution, the mother ought to be imprisoned until her trial, as per The Sun.
The timeline of Clancy's alleged mental health issues after the birth of her youngest child is detailed in court filings. It includes consultations with psychiatrists, prescriptions of a handful of medications, and a stay of several days at McLean Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Belmont, Boston.com reported.
What is Section 18 Massachusetts?
If the prisoner has been under mental health watch for at least 72 hours or is seriously in danger of imminent and serious self-harm, the court may grant the request for transfer, as per the MA Legislature website.
Massachusetts law prohibits involuntary commitment to a mental health facility only on the grounds that a person might profit from treatment or has a mental health condition. The legal requirements for commitment must be established by the court as having been satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt, as per Public Counsel.
