WORST NIGHTMARE: MOM, 41, ACCUSED OF KI-LLING HER 3-YEAR-OLD SON PLANS SAME INSANITY DEFENSE AS LINDSAY CLANCY — EERIE PARALLELS EMERGE AFTER CHILD’S DE-ATH AND SU-ICIDE ATTEMPT, RAISING HAUNTING QUESTIONS ABOUT TWO MOTHERS AND THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS AT THE HEART OF THEIR CASES
A MOTHER charged with killing her child is seeking an insanity defense in a case with striking similarities to Lindsay Clancy’s.
In February 2026, , 41, allegedly killed her three-year-old son and tried to murder her two-year-old son at their home in Durham, North Carolina.
The 911 call revealed authorities responded to the home on February 12 and found two unresponsive children.
One neighbor said they ran over to the Faust home after hearing someone come out of the house “yelling for help, saying she tried to kill the babies.”
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Faust faces one count of murder and one attempted murder charge.
A notice filed on August 18 by her defense lawyer Nicole Galinsky revealed she plans to use two defenses in the case: and diminished capacity.
The filing, reviewed by The U.S. Sun, does not establish whether the 41-year-old had diminished capacity or was legally insane.
Previous records show Faust tried to commit suicide twice in February, according to .
Faust was not present for a court appearance on February 16 after she was hospitalized following a suicide attempt at the Durham County Jail.
She also tried to hoard while at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women, claiming she was going to use it for a future suicide attempt, WRAL reported.
A judge determined she was incapable of standing trial in March, but the Central Regional Hospital found her capable of proceeding to trial in May.
Her husband Eric Faust pleaded with her in court over her
“Andrea, I’m begging you, please, no more attempts to harm yourself,” he said in February.
“I want to let the court know this was a complete mental health crisis,” he told the judge.
“Anyone will tell you what a tremendous, tremendous mother Andrea was.”
Galinsky acknowledged how her client’s case has similarities to Clancy’s, who has by reason of lack of criminal responsibility in Massachusetts for the
Clancy’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington has argued undiagnosed and could not appreciate the “wrongfulness” of her actions.
, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and , eight months, were in , and the former labor and delivery nurse end her life shortly after strangling them.
on Thursday in Clancy’s case, and returned to court on Monday morning to continue talks.
“Andrea and Lindsay’s cases are eerily similar, though not entirely the same,” Galinsky told The U.S. Sun.
“Both women were known to be loving, doting, responsible mothers who were worried about and caring for their children up until the very-second they decided to kill them.
“Both women were reaching out to their own mothers to come help them because they both recognized that they were having ‘horrible’ (intrusive) thoughts and both, at some point, did not feel safe around their children.”
Galinsky said Faust and Clancy both had auditory hallucinations and sought psychiatric help, and were prior to the killings.
Clancy claimed to have heard telling her, “This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself.”
“Neither woman did this out of the blue. Both were struggling enormously with their mental health,” Galinsky said.
“But, like most women and almost-all moms, they were just trying to get through each day, care for their children, be a good mom/wife/employee.
“Both were seeking help from doctors who weren’t really taking their concerns seriously.”
Galinsky said she knew after her first meeting with Faust that it was a not guilty by reason of insanity psychosis case.
She told The U.S. Sun Faust was not suffering from postpartum psychosis.
“Defense expert Adrienne Saxton has already found that Andrea was incapable of distinguishing right from wrong in relation to [the incident],” she added.
Faust is set to undergo another psychiatric evaluation.
“Once a psychiatrist from Central Regional Hospital is able to give his or her opinion on Andrea’s state of mind at the time of the killing/attempted killing, we can move forward with the case,” her defense lawyer said.
Galinsky also said Clancy and Faust’s cases highlight systemic issues that mothers can face.
“Both of these cases highlight the failure in our society to take women and mothers seriously when it comes to their mental health.
“Both of these women advocated for themselves countless times and – for what? It got them nowhere.”
A mother in New York was recently found not guilty by reason of insanity for the deaths of her two children in 2022.
A judge determined was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she stabbed her three-year-old Daishawn and 11-month-old Octavius, according to
If you or someone you know needs help or support for their mental health, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected with a certified crisis counselor.
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