Trial Begins For Lindsay Clancy, Massachusetts Mother Who Killed Her Children

Trial began in Massachsuetts today (Monday, July 27) for a woman who killed her three young children. Lindsay Clancy is charged with murder for the strangulation deaths of her five-year-old daughter, Cora; three-year-old son, Dawson; and 8-month-old son Callan, who were killed on Jan. 24, 2023, in Duxbury. Clancy was being treated for postpartum mental health issues at the time. Judge William Sullivan in Plymouth County Superior Court is presiding over the jury trial, which is expected to last six to eight weeks. His clerk swore in the jury today and read the charges before he discussed the logistics of the trial. 02:51 "ladies and gentlemen of the jury, please stand and raise your right hand. Do each of you solemnly swear that you shall well and truly try the issues between the Commonwealth and the defendant, according to your evidence, so help you God?" 04:20 "The jurors for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on their oath present that Lindsey M Clancy of Duxbury in Plymouth on or about January 24, 2023, at Duxbury in the county of Plymouth, did assault and beat Callan Clancy, intend to murder him, and by such assault and beating, did kill and murder the said Callan Clancy. To these indictments, the defendant at the bar pleads not guilty. For trial, places herself upon the country, which country you are. You were sworn to try the issues. If she is guilty, you shall say so. If she is not guilty, you shall say so, and no more. Members of the jury, hearken to heare evidence." 05:17 Judge speaks 07:08 "The law does not require the defendant to prove her innocence or to produce any evidence. At the end of this trial, you must find the defendant not guilty unless the commonwealth has proved to you beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant has committed each or any of the offenses with which he's charged." "Now, I'll more formally instruct you on what reasonable doubt is later. But a charge is proved beyond a reasonable doubt if, after you've compared and considered all the evidence, you have in your minds an abiding conviction to a moral certainty that the charge is true. It's going to be your duty, the duty of the jury, to determine whether the Commonwealth has proved its case against the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt, and that decision has to be based only on the evidence and the law that's presented here in the courtroom during the trial of this case. Now, the defendant has been charged in three counts of murder." 09:30 "So I just kind of wanted to give you a little bit of kind of an outline of what the law is on these charges..." 13:25 "You are going to have to consider and weigh the testimony of each and all the witnesses who will appear before you, and you alone will determine whether to believe any witness and what extent to which you do believe that witness. It's going to be your responsibility to resolve any conflicts and testimony that might arise during the course of the trial, and it's your duty to determine where the truth lies." 13:57 "I'm going to sometimes be making rulings on objections and evidence issues, I'll be talking to the attorneys and talking sometimes to witnesses. Don't try try to read into what I'm doing. In other words, I have no object. I have no opinion as to what your verdict should be. All right. So if you think you are, you're trying to read between the lines. Don't. All right. I have no opinion now. Also, during the course of the trial, you may hear either the three lawyers objecting. All right, don't hold that against the attorneys. That's their job." 17:23 "We're going to allow you as the case goes forward to take notes. All right, and so anybody who wants to take notes, you can. You don't have to. Some people find it helpful to remember. Some people find it distracting."