The jury could find her guilty of murder or the lesser crime of manslaughter, or it could acquit her if it finds that she wasn't in control of herself due to psychiatric problems.
Jurors are deliberating in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a case that has raised questions about maternal mental healthcare. Clancy does not deny killing her children, but she pleaded not guilty, arguing she can't be held criminally responsible because the murders occurred while she was suffering from postpartum psychosis. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Camilo Fonseca of The Boston Globe.
While both sides agree she killed her children, Clancy's defense team argued she suffered from postpartum psychosis, with defense attorney Kevin Reddington stating that "lousy medical care" exacerbated her condition. Prosecutors argued she intentionally planned the killings and that the nation's healthcare system is "not on trial here."
Lindsay Clancy's murder trial hasn't just dominated headlines for its tragic story and true crime fascination. For many, it has prompted a groundswell of recognition and outrage around the barriers women face when seeking care, the lack of research on postpartum mental health conditions and little education for providers.
Testimony concluded Wednesday in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, a mother accused of strangling her three young children in a case that has drawn attention to postpartum mental health. Closing arguments are expected to begin Thursday, before the jury begins deliberating.
Kirk Heilbrun told jurors that he didn't believe Clancy's claim that she hallucinated a voice telling her to kill her children, who ranged from 8 months to 5 years old. He said he instead believed she took their lives so they wouldn't "suffer" after she killed herself.
Kirk Heilbrun, who examined Clancy over three days this year, said he struggled to reach a diagnosis of bipolar 2 disorder "because of all the diagnoses in the records and all the symptoms that she experienced."
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