# Lindsay Clancy...child murderer or victim? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 19, 2026, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205 "2026-09-19T16:26:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/61 "2026-09-20T00:05:43Z")
I agree 100%. It is a severe punishment knowing that you killed your own children and that your suicide attempt will result in your spending the rest of your life in a wheelchair ought to be punishment galore. Something failed her–her husband, the medical system, whatever. Clearly 11 of 12 jurors agree. It would be insane to try her again. The idea that a new trial could result in 12 of 12 jurors going the other way is a form of insanity. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/62 "2026-09-20T00:05:50Z")
How common is postpartum psychosis? What percentage of cases end in a death? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/63 "2026-09-20T00:08:57Z")
Me too. This is a difficult case. At the end three little kids were strangled. By their mother. I just cannot get past that. I get she was not in her right mind but still…I just can’t give a pass on this. I’ve been a bit out of my mind on a few occasions but never like that. Never violent even a little bit. At the end of the day we are responsible for our actions. Just me and IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/64 "2026-09-20T00:14:16Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > At the end of the day we are responsible for our actions. Well, yeah, unless we’re not. But I get your reaction. Postpartum psychosis is a very real thing, and a psychotic break can very well be a legitimate cause for acquittal. Was it in this case? I don’t know, but I allow for the possibility. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/65 "2026-09-20T00:25:26Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I get she was not in her right mind but still…I just can’t give a pass on this. Then as a juror you would have felt compelled to return a verdict of not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. Just like this jury almost did. That verdict is in agreement with both halves of the above sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/66 "2026-09-20T00:26:18Z")
> [@SuntanLotion](#): > > What gets me is so many women going yes, we feel the same and raising money for her. Of course the hold out juror was a man. Like so many things, the Clancy trial is a real Rorschach Test and goes to show how much of our personal experience shapes our views. I’ve heard from men who are upset Clancy got so much support, feeling as though no man on trial for murdering his kids would be given the benefit of the doubt. I’ve heard Black people who were unhappy because they felt Clancy was given the benefit of hte doubt for being white. (And there were mixed reactions to the holdout juror being Black.) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/67 "2026-09-20T00:28:32Z")
I 100% get what you are saying here. I can also say jury nullification is a thing and as a juror I can make my own mind up and vote as I like. Even if it makes no sense to you. I will say my vote is well considered but it may not be to your thinking and/or liking. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/68 "2026-09-20T00:44:05Z")
In the video ([linked here to the timestamp 26:45](https://youtu.be/0qFPtthQ-8c)) it notes the person needs to lack control when the crime is committed. Literally they are not in control of their actions. IIRC this was an important part in this case. Did Lindsay know what she was doing? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/69 "2026-09-20T00:45:50Z")
It’s not about my thinking and/or liking. It’s about hundreds of years of jurisprudence that states people with mental diseases or defects are not to be treated by the legal system the same way people who do not have mental diseases or defects are. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/70 "2026-09-20T00:48:33Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Are you suggesting she plead guilty to strangling her three kids as a plea deal? Cite that she plead guilty? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/71 "2026-09-20T00:49:09Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Cite that she plead guilty? Already did: > **[Lindsay Clancy admits to killing their children. So why is there an online...](https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/22/us/patrick-clancy-conspiracy-theories)** > > Patrick Clancy took the stand as the prosecution’s first witness. For some, his testimony raised more questions than answers. ETA: To be clear, her defense is insanity. To do that she admitted to the crime. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/72 "2026-09-20T00:59:50Z")
Exactly, she pleaded **not** guilty by reason of insanity. And that doesn’t mean she did it. It means her lawyer thought it was her best chance in court. You are also ignoring the entire argument being made by a large segment of the population: That she was gaslighted into believing she did it when in fact her husband did. Given the cocktail of drugs she was on and the nightmarishly bad treatment she was receiving both before and after the deaths, it is easy to doubt. “False memories” are not just for setting middle aged men free. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/73 "2026-09-20T01:02:02Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > …she was gaslighted into believing she did it when in fact her husband did. Oh my… What? (I don’t think this will turn out well for you) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/74 "2026-09-20T01:03:38Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > (I don’t think this will turn out well for you) OK. I’m fine with an argument. Just try to base it on something tangible this time. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/75 "2026-09-20T01:06:45Z")
Whole lotta people of either gender abandon their spouse in times of ongoing crisis. In my time w my late wife’s struggles w cancer I heard many first-hand tales of spouses who walked away from similar scenarios. Humans are often selfish and cruel in the face of implacable problems. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/76 "2026-09-20T01:12:50Z")
I am trying to recall another case similar to this one. I want to say they had four children, and a very fundamentalist Christian religion. The husband knew his wife had postpartum psychosis after the last child, but refused to use any birth control for religious reasons. The last child did her in completely. Full blown psychosis. His mother was supposed to be staying with her and the children (home schooled, of course) during the day. But this particular day she stayed home for a few hours, to give the poor Mom “some time to herself.” She used that time to drown her children in the bathtub. I remember she said she thought she was saving them, by sending them to heaven while they were still innocent. Does anybody recall the case I’m thinking about? So many parallels, but above all, they knew she was in psychosis and just did absolutely nothing to relieve the weight on her shoulders, or to protect the children. It’s incredible to me. If Lindsay Clancy did do this, it really is an indictment of society at large. Where were the supports our taxes are supposed to pay for? In the UK, a nurse would have been with her at least when her husband was at work during the day. It’s just crazy how the US does nothing at all to support struggling mothers. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/77 "2026-09-20T01:16:18Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > > [@Aspenglow](#): > > > > Incarceration in a mental facility is not more pleasant than prison. They are scary, dangerous places. > > There has to be a horror movie in there somewhere. _”One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”_ And @Aspenglow is absolutely right, asylums are no more pleasant than prisons. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/78 "2026-09-20T01:19:20Z")
Just remembered two of the facts that don’t fit: Lindsay had crushing injuries to her neck. No explanation as to how those occurred. Strangulation would fit. The bedside table was on top of some of the blood. As in the leg of it was physically on top of some of the drops of blood. And it was sitting in front of the window she came out of. How did it get moved back there? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/79 "2026-09-20T01:24:06Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Does anybody recall the case I’m thinking about? > **[Andrea Yates](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Yates)** > > Andrea Pia Yates (née Kennedy; born July 3, 1964) is an American woman from Houston, Texas, who confessed to drowning her five children in their bathtub on June 20, 2001. The case of Yates—who had exhibited severe postpartum depression, postpartum psychosis, and schizophrenia in the years leading up to the murders—placed the M'Naghten rules, along with the irresistible impulse test for sanity, under close public scrutiny in the United States. At Yates' 2002 trial, Chuck Rosenthal, the district ... ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2026, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205/80 "2026-09-20T01:36:21Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > In my view, as a society, we don’t deal very well with it. I don’t know if any society knows how to deal with it. As someone who has had it, you develop anosognosia, which means the parts of the brain that monitor your sense of self that can tell you that you have psychosis are damaged. It needs to be dealt with the same way we deal with dementia. We don’t wait for dementia patients to voluntarily walk into a clinic and give them pills and tell them to take them at home. It would be like if you were using your computer and people kept saying ‘you need to get medical help for that broken arm’ but your arm looks perfectly fine. You can’t figure out why people keep telling you to get help for your broken arm. The parts of the brain that monitor your sense of self and self image are damaged, so you lose the ability to understand that you have an illness. However when psychotic, for whatever reason, you still have the ability to understand that other people are psychotic, and you have the ability to understand that other people think you are psychotic. You just lack the ability to understand that you yourself are psychotic. One medical doctor decades ago conducted an experiment where he put 4 schizophrenics who thought they were Jesus in a room together. All 4 came to the same conclusion, that the other 3 were mentally ill but that they themselves actually were Jesus. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205.md?page=5)