Clancy Trial: Defense Presents Expert on Postpartum Psychosis

The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, accused of strangling her three young children in January 2023, resumed on August 20, 2026, marking day 17 of testimony. The defense team continues to argue that Clancy, 36, was not criminally responsible at the time of the tragic events. Central to their defense is the assertion that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis.

A key figure expected to provide testimony is Dr. Margaret Spinelli, a professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University. Dr. Spinelli, an expert in postpartum psychosis and infanticide cases, was listed as a defense witness. Her testimony is anticipated to shed light on Clancy's mental state, supporting the defense's claim that she experienced a psychotic break.

Prosecutors contend that Clancy acted rationally and deliberately when she killed her children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months. They allege she orchestrated the events by sending her husband out of the house. However, defense attorney Kevin Reddington portrays Clancy as a mother who sought help for postpartum symptoms but was misdiagnosed and overmedicated, leading to a compulsion by auditory hallucinations to commit the acts.