The eight-month-old son of Massachusetts mom Lindsay Clancy was pronounced dead on Friday, just two days after she killed her two other children and attempted to kill the youngest, the Plymouth County District Attorney's office confirmed. Clancy, 32, tried to strangle her eight-month-old son and then attempted suicide by jumping from the window on Tuesday.
Prior to that, Clancy strangled her 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, while her husband was out to grab lunch. Clancy was taken to the hospital while under arrest, after her husband Patrick returned to their Duxbury home on Wednesday night to find their three children "unconscious, with obvious signs of trauma."
Death Snatches the Third
The district attorney for Plymouth County acknowledged that Clancy's youngest son, Callan, died on Friday morning at a hospital close to Boston. Clancy is being treated in a hospital while being held by the police. She is expected to face homicide charges after her release.
Calen, who turned 8 months old on Thursday, was rushed to Boston Children's Hospital in critical condition, where he later died.
Prior to that, Cora, 5, and Dawson, 3, were declared dead at a hospital. The youngsters appeared to have been strangled, although the cause of their deaths has not yet been determined by the medical examiner.
Clancy apparently tried to commit suicide by jumping out a window before medical personnel got to the Summer Street house. She is now recovering in a hospital in Boston.
Her shocked husband Patrick, 34, saw Clancy lying motionless outside their house and dialed 911 after 6 pm on Tuesday. He had "popped out" for 25 minutes to pick up a takeaway order.
"In the 25 minutes, it took him to pick up takeout, the unthinkable happened," radio host John DePetro reported of Patrick's tragic discovery on Friday, citing one of the couple's friends, according to a New York Post report.
Murder Under Strange Circumstances
DePetro also mentioned that Clancy was receiving extensive counseling for postpartum depression and anxiety while she was on leave from her position as a labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital.
"Curious to hear a statement from the individuals treating her and what was missed. Sounds like she was in a desperate situation," DePetro said.
According to sources who spoke to CBS Boston, investigators are looking into the possibility that Clancy had postpartum psychosis.
Rita Musgrove, the great-grandmother of the kids, told NBC Boston that when she spoke to their mother last week, nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
"It's a pretty shocking thing, and it is heartbreaking," she said as she left flowers at a memorial outside the family's home.
Donna Jesse, the aunt of the children, stated, "They were just beautiful, beautiful children- Well cared for - they were just beautiful. They had a beautiful life."
Clancy opened up about her struggle with postpartum anxiety on Facebook in July months before the terrible tragedy that occurred at her Duxbury home on Tuesday, according to the Boston Globe.
The mother of three wrote in another post six weeks following the birth of her third child about feeling "dialed in" once again.
According to the outlet, she claimed that she was concentrating on fitness, nutrition, and her mindset, saying that "it has made all the difference."
On the Facebook page, the post is hidden from the general public.
Friends of the Clancy family have set up a GoFundMe page in Patrick's honor to help with the funeral, medical, and legal expenses.
Of the $700,000 target, $438,224 have been raised thus far. According to the website, "This assistance is especially needed because Pat will be unable to work for the foreseeable future as he weathers this painful, life-altering tragedy.
"We all know Pat to be the most kind and genuine person. As someone who is always willing to support others, we sincerely thank you for offering yours."
Rev. Robert J. Deehan said during a vigil for the family held at Duxbury's Holy Family Church on Thursday night that the tragedy had left the neighborhood "devastated and heartbroken."
