Killer mom Lindsay Clancy was suffering from drug withdrawal and had 'worst side effects,' says friend

Lindsay Clancy faces two counts of first-degree murder for allegedly strangling her children to death
PUBLISHED FEB 27, 2023
Lindsay Clancy's husband, Patrick, found the bodies of his children - Cora, Dawson and Callan - in the basement (Lindsay Clancy/Facebook)
Lindsay Clancy's husband, Patrick, found the bodies of his children - Cora, Dawson and Callan - in the basement (Lindsay Clancy/Facebook)

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers' discretion advised.

DUXBURY, MASSACHUSETTS: A friend of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mom accused of killing her three children, has said Lindsay was suffering from benzos withdrawal and had the "worst side effects" before the murders. The bodies of the two children allegedly killed by Clancy, 32, were found in the basement of their home. Clancy pleaded not guilty to killing the children — Cora, five, Dawson, three, and seven-month-old Callan, who died later in the hospital.

Two days before the murders, the family went to visit a friend of Clancy's husband, Patrick. The college friend, Kyle Carney, confirmed that the family came over for dinner, according to Boston.com. Carney told police Clancy seemed quite normal that day.

RELATED ARTICLES

Lindsay Clancy: Horrifying 911 call reveals how midwife mom cut her own wrists while being overmedicated after killing 3 children

Lindsay Clancy murders: Duxbury mom was 'having one of her best days' before killing three children, husband Patrick says

Lindsay Clancy struggled with benzodiazepine withdrawal

After the murders, Carney revealed Patrick told him Clancy was prescribed medications he believed were not working, according to The US Sun. Clancy was said to have been battling postpartum psychosis in the months leading up to her children's murders. Patrick reportedly also told Carney that Clancy was dealing with benzodiazepine withdrawals about a month-and-a-half before the murders. She had "the worst side effects possible," Carney said. 

Clancy faces two counts of first-degree murder, three counts of strangulation and suffocation, and three counts of assault with a deadly weapon following the slayings. While she is accused of killing Callan, she does not face charges in connection with his death at present.

How the children were found

Clancy's children were found lying in the basement of their house and were discovered by Patrick. Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague explained Patrick came back after he went out to get takeout food for the family in Duxbury, and found his bedroom door locked, according to WCVB. However, he managed to get in and subsequently found that his wife had allegedly slit her wrists and jumped out the second-story window.

"He called 911. During this time, he asked the defendant [Clancy], ‘What did you do?’ She responded to him, ‘I tried to kill myself and jumped out the window'," Sprague told the court. She added, "During the 911 call, Patrick can be heard asking the defendant, ‘Where are the kids?’ He later told police that she replied 'in the basement'."

Patrick then headed downstairs to the basement and reportedly screamed as he found Cora, Dawson, and Callan on the ground. All the children had an exercise resistance band around their necks that was used to strangle them, Evie Magazine reported. Clancy is now being treated for spinal injuries. She has been left paralyzed from the waist down.

MORE STORIES

Before his shocking arrest, Manuel Rocha served under both Democratic and Republican administrations during his 25-year diplomatic career
Dec 4, 2023
Conflicting accounts emerged regarding the authorities' awareness, prompting a demand for a $1M settlement for William Vannasap's injuries
Dec 3, 2023
Annette Pershal was shot multiple times with a pellet gun and her injuries were non-survivable, said authorities
Dec 2, 2023
Christina Riggs became the 18th woman in the US to be executed and was the youngest woman to be put to death at just 28
Dec 2, 2023
A fire, initiated posthumously, has raised suspicions as Griffiths was found shot but the autopsy showed no signs of smoke inhalation
Dec 2, 2023
As per the lawsuit, Gabby Petito's parents allege that Brian Laundrie's parents knew about their daughter's death along with the location of the crime
Dec 2, 2023
Jeremy is 5’11, weighs 245 lbs., has brown hair that is greying, green eyes and a greying beard
Dec 1, 2023
Jovannie Vega is accused of picking up the little boy and slamming him down onto the floor multiple times
Dec 1, 2023
'I feel bad for the families because I know exactly what they're going through,' said Mark Jacobo, whose son was killed in a firearm incident
Dec 1, 2023