Clancy Trial Cross-Examination Ends, Court Dismissed Early

Testimony in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy continued Wednesday in Plymouth Superior Court in Massachusetts, though the day ended earlier than expected after Judge William Sullivan dismissed jurors following the lunch recess.

"This is not something we saw coming. But you're not to speculate about what it is, you're not to hold it against either side. It's just something that we have to deal with," Sullivan told jurors, adding that the trial remains on schedule. Proceedings are set to resume at 9 a.m. Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Dr. Paul Zeizel, a forensic psychologist testifying for the defense, completed cross-examination by prosecutor Shanan Buckingham. Zeizel had testified that Clancy told him she heard a voice ordering her to kill her children. He described Clancy as "extremely well-regarded and well-liked" at Tewksbury State Hospital, where she has remained since the deaths of her three children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan — in their Duxbury home on January 24, 2023.

Buckingham questioned Zeizel about his closeness to Clancy, asking how many other defendants he had spent 35 hours evaluating or "cared deeply for." He said only one other in each case, and that he had never given a press conference about another defendant. Zeizel confirmed Clancy remains on constant one-to-one suicide monitoring but has not attempted suicide since the night of the killings.

Without the jury present, Judge Sullivan also heard arguments over whether Emily Thorndike, a former McLean Hospital employee who made a widely viewed TikTok video criticizing the prosecution's characterization of the facility, could testify. Thorndike did not work at McLean while Clancy was treated there in January 2023. Sullivan found her credible but ruled she could not testify to the jury, citing limited materiality, though he said the defense may submit staffing records for comparison.

The defense is expected to call one more witness Thursday before potentially resting its case, after which prosecutors would have the chance to call rebuttal witnesses.