Duxbury mother Lindsay Clancy to be charged with homicide in deaths of 2 children
DUXBURY – Prosecutors said the mother of two children who were found dead inside a Duxbury home Tuesday night will be charged with their murders. A third child was seriously hurt and remains hospitalized.
Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said Wednesday that an arrest warrant has been issued for 32-year-old Lindsay Clancy.
Police were called to the house on Summer Street just after 6 p.m. Tuesday. The children's father came home and discovered the his wife first, reporting she had tried to take her own life. She was taken to a hospital.
Inside the home, police found 5-year-old Cora Clancy and 3-year-old Dawson Clancy suffering from "obvious signs of severe trauma" after they were allegedly strangled. They were rushed to an area hospital but did not survive.
An 8-month-old boy was also found unconscious. He was taken to a Boston hospital by MedFlight and remains hospitalized.
Sources told the WBZ-TV I-Team that investigators are looking at the possibility that Lindsay Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis. She was on leave from her job as a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Clancy is still hospitalized under police custody and will be arraigned as soon as she is physically able.
"Our community is of course reeling from the tragic events of last night," said Duxbury Town Manager René Read.
Flowers outside Clancy's home Wednesday are a small gesture that conveys the grief the community is feeling including neighbor John Sullivan. "Everybody is in a state of disbelief, it is tragic, the whole neighborhood is trying to process this whole thing," Sullivan said.
Local minister Rev. Bill Ferguson of the Pilgrim Church says the community is trying to find ways to help. "How do you? Especially when children are involved. Mental health issues if those are some of the reasons why this happened, we just don't know, it's the unknowable," Ferguson said.
First responders who rushed to the home are also grieving, coming upon a scene that has left them devastated and in need of support of their own.
"To all those who responded we care about you," said Duxbury Fire Chief Robert Reardon. "If you or a colleague is in need of support, please reach out."
"It's a challenging event," said Cruz. "I think being a police officer, being a first responder, has never been more challenging, and I think we should all be thanking them for their efforts and we should continue to pray for the family."
A spokesperson for Massachusetts General Hospital released a statement Wednesday saying, "We are shocked and saddened to learn of this unthinkable tragedy. We extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by these devastating events."
Click here for a list of mental health resources, including suicide prevention hotlines. A new maternal health hotline has also been established for mothers or pregnant people who are struggling with their mental health. Anyone in need of assistance can call 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS or 1-833-943-5746. You can call or text to receive support from trained counselors.