Chilling Testimony Reveals Lindsay Clancy’s Physiological State At Time Of Child Killings

Lindsay Clancy had a heart rate of just 57 beats per minute just before, or potentially as she started to fatally strangle each of her three young children on January 24, 2023.

Testimony from digital forensic specialist Ian Whiffin revealed Monday that Clancy’s Apple Watch recorded a heart rate of 57 bpm at 5:23 p.m. on the day of the killings. Prosecutors’ digital timeline appears to place the killings in the roughly 5:23-5:38 p.m. window, although the Apple Watch did not record a heart rate throughout that period.

The recording sheds light on Clancy’s physiological state. Many people online reacted to the revelation, calling it “chilling.” Some suggested it showed Clancy’s methodical and planned approach to the horrific incident, while others viewed it as a sign to bolster the defense’s case that the mother was in psychosis, as opposed to a fit of rage.

According to NBC Boston, Whiffin further revealed searches from Clancy’s devices in the days leading up to the killings. On January 12, a search was made for “how quickly does Wellbutrin [a prescription medication used to treat depression] work for depression.” Six days later, there was a search made for “ketamine for suicidal ideation.” And on January 19, searches were made for “symptoms of postpartum psychosis” and “psychosis symptoms.”

Clancy has not denied that she strangled her children, but her defense team is leaning on what’s commonly referred to as the insanity defense to argue that she was not criminally responsible for the killings because of her mental state.

The former labor and delivery nurse is on trial for three counts of first-degree murder. Clancy’s children were just 5 years old, 3 years old, and 8 months old. She has pleaded not guilty.

Clancy killed the children inside the family’s home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, after she sent her then-husband Patrick Clancy to pick up takeout food and medication. Prosecutors say Clancy then attempted suicide by jumping from a second-story window after cutting both her wrists. All three children died, and Clancy was left paralyzed from the waist down.

The case has gained national attention for a number of reasons, including the laundry list of psychiatric medications Clancy was prescribed after having her third child. Court records and medical reports indicate she was prescribed or took more than a dozen medications, including Zoloft, Ativan, Benadryl, trazodone, Prozac, Ambien, Remeron, Klonopin, Seroquel, Valium, and amitriptyline, with doctors changing or adjusting medications over time as her symptoms persisted.

Several of the psychiatric medications listed potential side effects including agitation, insomnia, suicidal thoughts, confusion, and, in rare cases, hallucinations or psychotic symptoms. According to court filings, Clancy’s medication regimen changed multiple times during the fall and winter of 2022 before the killings in January 2023.

Related: Lindsay Clancy Strangled Her Three Children. Why Some People Want Her Set Free.