Lindsay Clancy, a 32-year-old labor and delivery nurse from Duxbury, Mass., had previously been open about her struggles with postpartum anxiety.
A Massachusetts mother of three remains hospitalized and under police custody after allegedly taking the lives of two of her young children and nearly killing her infant, officials said.
Lindsay Clancy, a Duxbury mother of three, is believed to have killed her 3-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, and strangled her 8-month-old infant before she jumped from a second-story window of her home, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said late Wednesday.
An arrest warrant has been issued and authorities plan to charge Lindsay with two counts of homicide, three counts of strangulation, and three counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon “as soon as able,” Cruz said
Clancy's daughter Cora, 5, and son Dawson, 3, were pronounced dead at a local hospital. Her 8-month-old son survived and was flown to Boston Children’s Hospital, authorities said. Officials did not share specifics of his condition other than to say that he was injured.
An autopsy will be performed on the two older children, but “preliminarily, it appears the children were strangled,” Cruz said.
Clancy's husband had called 911 Tuesday evening, after she reportedly jumped out of a window of their home, where the family lived since 2018, the Boston Globe reported. She had reportedly injured herself prior to jumping, authorities said.
Clancy, a 32-year-old labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, had previously been vocal about her struggles with postpartum anxieties, the Boston Globe reported.
Following the birth of her youngest, she posted on social media about focusing on exercise, nutrition and mindset, which “made all the difference,” according to the Boston Globe. Her posts, with exception of many photos of her children and family that she shared on her page, are no longer available to view.
According to the National Library of Medicine, about one in seven new mothers In the United States develop postpartum depression, which affects the mother and her relationship with her infant. Postpartum depression is defined by feelings of intense sadness, anxiety or despair that can occur for up to one year after having a baby, and may partially occur due to changes in hormone levels after childbirth, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Untreated postpartum depression can lead to a higher risk of attempting suicide, and an inability to care for the baby, according to the Office on Women’s Health.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with maternal mental health, call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-943-5746 (1-833-9-HELP4MOMS) for 24/7, free, confidential support before, during, and after pregnancy. TTY users can use a preferred relay service or dial 711 and then 1-833-943-5746.
