21st September 2026
As we head into the Autumn the leading case in the USA which has attracted worldwide interest is the trial of Lindsay Clancy who was charged with first degree murder of her 3 children Cora, aged 5, Dawson, 3 and Callan who was 8 months old, in January 2023 was the opening topic this morning on the Greg Hughes Show with his guest Seamus Gunn. The harrowing circumstances of the death of the 3 children, their mother, the accused, self-harming immediately afterwards and then jumping from the second story window from their home has drawn the international media to Plymouth, Massachusetts. Gunn explained that the accused herself was in the care profession and was described as a former labour and delivery nurse. The defence were relying on the argument of postpartum psychosis, while the prosecution who are pursuing a first-degree murder charge which would carry a life sentence without parole, maintain that she intentionally and rationally carried out the acts while appreciating the wrongfulness of her actions and nonetheless decided to kill her children. Further they were also advancing a claim of premeditation in that she chose a time when her husband was out of the house having been sent on an errand and on his return discovered the children dead in the basement and found his wife on the pavement having attempted suicide. This has unfortunately left her paralyzed. What was unusual was that her now estranged husband testified that she was a loving, caring, devoted mother of the children and that she had sought help from the psychiatric services which had let her down. It is also claimed that the postpartum psychosis drove her to carry out this brutal act. The deliberations of the jury have continued into day 7 and as reported last eve there seemed to be 11 jurors who have come to an agreement while one was holding out on a verdict.
He had some concerns about a mistrial being called. He thought that if this was the case, given the horrific circumstances of the death of the 3 children the prosecution would likely try for a retrial, but he hoped that if this did occur, perhaps some type of Plea-bargain could be considered which may bring a measure of justice to this most harrowing of all cases.
PS Since the broadcast, a mistrial has been called as a result of a hung jury.
Listen to the full broadcast below: