Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer warns she could kill herself if medical needs not met during murder trial

Crime

“She’s not a danger to others, that’s for sure. But she’s surely a danger to herself,” said an attorney for Clancy, who is charged with killing her children.

By Abby Patkin

January 7, 2026 | 3:44 PM

2 minutes to read

A Plymouth Superior Court judge is weighing how to get Lindsay Clancy to and from court this summer when the Duxbury mother stands trial for allegedly murdering her children — a task that has proven a “logistical nightmare” given her complex medical needs.

The 35-year-old allegedly strangled her children at home on Jan. 24, 2023, before paralyzing herself in a suicide attempt. Clancy now uses a wheelchair due to her injuries and remains committed at the state-run Tewksbury Hospital.

While Clancy has appeared remotely for court hearings thus far, that’s expected to change when her murder trial begins July 20. The logistics of her transport and medical accommodations have dominated recent hearings, with the prosecution and defense arguing back and forth over whether to use a hospital vehicle or a van from the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington has even suggested Clancy may attempt suicide again if her needs aren’t met during the trial, raising concerns about the medical assistance and supervision she’ll likely require.

“I don’t envy your job, because this is a nightmare,” he told Judge William Sullivan Wednesday. “This case is going to be a logistical nightmare.” 

According to Reddington, Clancy can’t use an accessible bathroom stall on her own and will at times need help transferring from her wheelchair, possibly with the use of a stretcher. 

“How’s a person going to be able to go through the horrific emotion of this case for three to four weeks, on a daily basis, with these medical issues of significant concern?” he asked. 

Complicating matters, Clancy also has “significant” suicidal ideation that requires around-the-clock supervision, Reddington said. Contrary to prosecutors’ portrait of a cold and calculating killer, he’s alleged that Clancy struggled with her mental health following the birth of her third child and was heavily medicated at the time of the killings.

“She’s not a danger to others, that’s for sure. But she’s surely a danger to herself,” he said Wednesday. “It’s not on me. If this woman kills herself during this trial — which there is a very real probability that could happen — it’s on somebody, and it’s not on me.”

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague indicated the state would work to accommodate Clancy’s needs in accordance with a letter from her physician’s assistant.

“I don’t think there’s any reason for the drama here,” she asserted. “I think it would be good for everyone to just take a breath and make a plan and follow the plan.”

Sullivan said he would draft an order, distribute it to the sheriff’s department and attorneys, and consider a follow-up hearing to address any lingering concerns.

“I want to get this done within, really, the next couple of weeks or so, because the one thing I don’t want is to have everybody here for trial and then have something that we just didn’t foresee create a problem,” he explained. 

Later in the hearing, Sprague cited “voluminous” records from Tewksbury Hospital as she suggested prosecution experts may take three or four months to complete their evaluation of Clancy. Sullivan urged both sides to be mindful of the timeline, reminding the attorneys that he has already pushed the trial back several times.

“This is going to trial in July,” he said firmly. “So that date’s a hard date.”

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.