Watch Live: Lindsay Clancy murder trial turns to prescription pills for Day 6 of witness testimony

The Lindsay Clancy murder trial resumed for a sixth day Tuesday with more testimony from prosecution witnesses and a a look at her prescriptions.

Clancy, 35, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the deaths of her three children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan — at their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, on Jan. 24, 2023.

You can watch the trial live in the embedded video, on CBS News Boston or on the CBS News Boston YouTube page once testimony begins.

Testimony about Lindsay Clancy’s prescription pills

Massachusetts State Police Lt. Joseph Rabbit said he found four prescription pill bottles in a kitchen cabinet when executing a search warrant at the Duxbury home after the murders. He said Lindsay Clancy’s ex-husband Patrick Clancy and a lawyer came to the district attorney’s office on Feb. 6 with more prescription pill bottles in a CVS bag.

Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham pulled out pill bottles one-by-one and asked about how many pills were prescribed compared to how many were left in the bottle. The prosecution has argued that while Clancy was prescribed several drugs for her mental health struggles, she was not taking many pills from each bottle. 

The defense maintains she was overmedicated, and say a cocktail of several prescription drugs sparked a postpartum psychosis that led to Clancy killing her children.

“These were all pills that were issued on prescriptions in about a three-week period of time,” defense attorney Kevin Reddington said in his questioning.

Crime lab workers testify

Several prosecution witnesses employed at the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab took the stand on Tuesday. There was testimony about blood collected from the home in Duxbury – jurors were shown the blood-stained knife previously seen in Clancy’s bedroom.

Two Crime Lab technicians also testified that prescription drugs were detected in blood and urine tests done on Lindsay Clancy. The tests are unable to pinpoint exactly how many different drugs Clancy had in her system, they explained.

The Crime Lab witnesses testified that they found nothing in the three children’s systems. 

South Shore Hospital surgeon testifies

The prosecution’s first witness of the day was Dr. Cristina Karpio, a general surgeon at South Shore Hospital who treated Clancy immediately after the murders. She said Clancy’s complex spinal injuries from her fall out of the second-story bedroom window required a transfer to Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked Dr. Karpio about the severity of Clancy’s injuries. The defense has tried to counter the prosecution’s argument that Clancy’s suicide attempt was faked. 

“Did you know that your patient had coded shortly after being brought to Brigham & Women’s hospital?” Reddington asked.

“No,” Dr. Karpio said.

“Did you know that she had to have massive transfusions right after being brought to the hospital in Boston?” Reddington asked.

“No,” Dr. Karpio said.

Lindsay Clancy agrees to “stipulation of facts”

Before the jury entered the courtroom on Tuesday, Lindsay Clancy agreed to a “stipulation of facts.”

She was sworn in by a court officer and answered questions from the judge, confirming that she and the prosecution agree on certain facts in the case.

“This stipulation basically relieves the government of having to bring in dozens if not more witnesses to prove chain of custody of blood, fluids, the bands, DNA, all of that,” defense attorney Reddington said. “Rather than have days of testimony, the stipulation will avoid that.”

Specifically, both sides agreed that toxicology testing on the three children was done correctly in the Crime Lab. 

The day of scientific testimony drew frustration from Reddington at times.

“Your honor, there’s no objection to any of this physical evidence,” he said. 

Reddington has repeatedly told the court that Clancy admits what she did, and he wants the trial to be focused not on who did it, but why.

What’s happened in the Lindsay Clancy trial this week?

The jury in Plymouth Superior Court heard entries from Clancy’s diary Monday and testimony about her state of mind before and after the murders. She admits to killing her children but claims it was due to severe postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors say her suicide attempt was fake and premeditated and the murders were planned.

The jury has heard from 32 witnesses after five days of testimony.

If convicted, Clancy faces life in prison without a chance of parole. If she’s found not criminally responsible for the deaths of her children, she will be sent to a state mental health facility in Massachusetts. 

If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.

For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.

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