Massachusetts mother charged with killing two children and injuring a baby
A Massachusetts mother allegedly strangled her two young children and tried to kill her baby before she attempted to jump to her death in a tragic failed murder-suicide attempt.
Lindsay Clancy, 32, of Plymouth, has been charged with two counts of homicide and three counts of strangulation for killing her 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, according to District Attorney Tim Cruz.
Clancy recovers in a Boston hospital but is in police custody.
Police responded to the family’s home in Duxbury – a town about 35 miles southeast of Boston – after Clancy’s husband called 911 around 6 p.m. to report she had jumped from a window. home, Cruz said.
“First responders then located three unconscious children from the home under the age of five with obvious signs of severe trauma,” Cruz said.
Cora, 5, and Dawson, 3, were rushed to hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
A 7-month-old baby boy is still fighting for his life, officials say. He was airlifted to Boston Children’s Hospital and remains in treatment.
Clancy appears to have strangled her children, Cruz said, although the medical examiner will release an official cause of death in the coming days.
Clancy was treated at the scene and taken to a nearby hospital.
“It’s an unimaginable, senseless tragedy, and it’s an ongoing investigation,” Cruz said.
Investigators are considering the possibility that Clancy suffered from postpartum psychosis when she allegedly committed the attempted murder-suicide, sources told CBS Boston.
She had been on leave from her nursing job at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Lindsay Clancy had been on leave from her nursing job at Massachusetts General Hospital.
The 3-year-old son was also pronounced dead in hospital.
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Lindsay Clancy is currently recovering in a Boston hospital but is in police custody.
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The children’s great-grandmother, Rita Musgrove, told NBC Boston that nothing seemed out of the ordinary when she spoke to their mother last week.
“It’s a pretty shocking thing, and it’s heartbreaking,” she said as she laid flowers at a memorial outside the family home.
The children’s aunt, Donna Jesse, added: “They were just very beautiful children. Well maintained – they were just beautiful, that’s all. They had a good life.
The tragedy left the whole community in shock, especially the first responders who came across the gruesome scene.
Police officers were seen shedding tears during Wednesday’s press conference and the State Police Association of Massachusetts reminded its members that resources were available to deal with the case.
“I want to further commend the professionalism and hard work of Duxbury first responders and mass state policing,” Cruz said. “I’m sure many of them won’t forget what they saw last night.”