The testimony of , former husband of , became a focal point of the murder trial against his ex-wife as the defense looked to him to explain what she was going through in the weeks leading up to
Criminal defense attorney Andrea Lewis called his testimony “critical” to showing the jury what Lindsay Clancy’s state of mind was like.
“All eyes are on him to a large degree. Was she loving? Was she warm? Was she a caring mother? Did you notice her acting irrationally or detached from reality in the time frame leading up to it? Those are critical questions,” Lewis said.
Patrick and Lindsay Clancy met in 2013, got married three years later and started their family.
He divorced Lindsay shortly after their children’s death but has stood by his ex-wife and asked the public to forgive her.
“Without question, Patrick Clancy saying that his wife is a victim and not a murderer is colossal for this jury,” said criminal defense attorney Mark Eiglarsh.
Patrick Clancy witnessed Lindsay Clancy’s behavior change, he testified
After the birth of their third child, Patrick Clancy said Lindsay’s mental health got worse with each month.
He said Lindsay Clancy began taking Zoloft in September 2022, telling him, “I think it’s really going to help with my anxiety and with going back to work.”
Instead, he testified she “just kept getting worse and worse,” battling severe insomnia, including nearly 48 hours without sleep.
“I just wanted her to get sleep and feel better,” he told jurors.
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Lindsay Clancy watches at the jury leaves the courtroom to start their deliberations during her murder trial at Plymouth Superior Court in Plymouth, Mass., Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) -
Patrick Clancy, the father of Cora, Dawson and Callan Clancy testifies for the prosecution against his ex wife Lindsay Clancy at Plymouth Superior Court in Plymouth, Mass., Monday, July 27, 2026. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool) -
Plymouth, MA – July 29: Lindsay Clancy attends her murder trial at Plymouth Superior Court in Plymouth on July 29, 2026. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) -
Patrick and Lindsay Clancy (Source: Clancy Family)
Patrick Clancy testified Lindsay Clancy’s “big spiral” started around the time she began taking Seroquel in early December 2022. Seroquel is an antipsychotic prescription medication used to treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depressive disorder.
“Patrick does a lot of the heavy lifting for the defense in terms of painting Lindsay as a loving, caring, thoughtful mother – until she wasn’t,” Lewis said.
On Jan. 23, 2023, Lindsay Clancy was having one of her best days, he said. She built a snowman outside with the kids before texting Patrick to ask if he could get takeout for dinner.
On the way, he also stopped at the drug store to run a quick errand and called Lindsay at 5:33 p.m. She didn’t answer at first but called back one minute later.
Patrick Clancy testified that she seemed busy at the time and thought she was giving the children baths. This is where the prosecution argues Lindsay Clancy was committing the killings.
“The phone call that was made between Patrick and Lindsay is extraordinary. She wasn’t cuckoo during that time period. She was seemingly normal. He thought that she was giving the kids a bath. Jurors are going to go, ‘That’s the best indicator of where her head was at.’ That’s not psychotic. That’s calm,” said Eiglarsh.
Lindsay Clancy told Patrick Clancy she heard a man’s voice
A week after the tragedy, Lindsay called Patrick from her hospital bed and confessed to hearing a voice in her head.
“She didn’t talk about our kids. She talked about what she went through,” he testified. “She said she heard a man’s voice telling her if she didn’t do it now, she would lose her chance, or something like that.”
Patrick Clancy said it was the first time he had heard his ex-wife describe hearing voices. He also testified that before the killings, he had never heard the term “psychosis” and that his then-wife never used the term.
How the prosecution questioned Patrick Clancy
Prosecutors focused on Lindsay Clancy’s behavior after the birth of each of her kids. Patrick Clancy told the jury each new addition brought more anxiety and stress to their household.
“I think it was fine at first, it was always when she had to go back to work, that’s when she struggled,” Patrick said on the witness stand.
“She just had a really hard time being separated from them,” he also testified.
Eiglarsh said prosecutors tried to show a motive while questioning Patrick, trying to convince the jury she wanted a life without her kids.
“I found him extremely believable. I related to him. I actually felt for him as someone who didn’t show that much emotion on the stand. I could see he was holding it back. He lost his precious children. This broke him. He’s a victim here,” Eiglarsh said.
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