The Terrible Case Of Nurse Lindsay Clancy Who Murdered Her Three Young Children

This horrific case holds many similarities to the Andrea Yates murders of her five young children in 2001. Both of these murderous mothers were nurses, both were married, and living with their families in modest, normal looking homes at the time of their horrific crimes.

Both of them killed by obliterating the airways, or ability to breathe, in one case through drowning, and in the other case through ligature strangulation, or asphyxiation. Most nurses know the ABC priorities for survival, with A standing for airway, which makes these cases that much more disturbing. They went for the surest, and most expedient way to cause death, by systematically taking away the airways of their victims.

All nurses, and first responders, are first and foremost taught how to assess, manage and above all – protect the airways of patients. These women who were also nurses, intentionally set out to do just the opposite, to their very own children, not as a matter of neglect, but with the intent to obstruct the airways, with a premeditated plan in order to kill them.

Few things could be more incomprehensible in scope, intent, and absolute, definitive life ending cruelty. They took the God given breath of life, right out of the epitome of trust, and innocence, as is known to all human beings. Once the deed is done, there is no turning back. They knew it too. There can be no denying the fact they knew it was an irreversible act, regardless of their mental state at the time.

Andrea Yates had worked as an RN at MD Anderson, a cancer research centre in Houston Texas, and Lindsay Clancy was a labour and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Both killed all of their children, and both were in their thirties when they committed the crimes.

Both of these women, were mothers with husbands who claimed to love and support them. Neither one of them were abused or battered by their spouses. They were not unstable, immature teenage single mothers addicted to meth or opiates. They did not appear to have unplanned or unwanted pregnancies. They were professionals living superficially ordinary lives, which many people might have envied.

In both cases, a defence of postpartum depression, and psychosis, is what laid the groundwork for the defence. In the case of Andrea Yates, her condition was more overtly psychotic, in that she was steeped in religious delusions, and believed she, and the children were being affected by demons. As a contributing factor, she and her husband were following the cultish beliefs of street preacher Michael Woroniecki, who was known for certain outrageous, attention seeking tactics.

The preacher in the Andrea Yates case was arrested on multiple occasions in the US, due to the extremism, and sometimes outlandish methods of outreach he was known for. At one point, he travelled to Morocco where his street preaching incited a riot, and once again he was arrested, and then promptly deported. It turned out the Yates couple at one point, bought a converted bus from this preacher, which they lived in prior to moving into a house in Houston, Texas. Andrea was left in a confined space to care for the children, as well as to home school them, without proper cooking and washing facilities.

Because it is still early in the Lindsay Clancy case, less is known about their family history, religious beliefs, and family dynamics. What has been reported, is that the husband was working from a home office in the basement. There was also a go fund me page set up after the murders with a goal of reaching $750,000.00, and following that it was increased to a million.

It does seem a bit sketchy to raise such hefty funds, because the burial of three children would not cost much, and apparently the go fund me money cannot go toward a legal defence. No doubt the details of the family finances will surface as the investigation progresses.

The husband also made social media pleas to forgive his wife, shortly after the murders. This could simply be a response to the tragedy on his part, but forgiveness is a process, and for something so horrific, would most likely take a very long time. In the case of Andrea Yates, the husband supported her in the initial aftermath, but soon filed for divorce. He remarried, had another child, and then the second wife filed for divorce.

Apparently Lindsay was on maternity leave at the time of the murders. Between October and January, it was reported she had been prescribed thirteen different psychiatric medications. At the time of the murders in late January, she was supposedly taking three to four medications, specifically benzodiazepines and SSRI’s, as well as sleeping pills or an antipsychotic medication. In several of the reports, it refers to the amount she was taking at the time of the murders, as “only three or four prescription medications” trying to downplay it. A prescription for benzos or even just one potent antipsychotic drug is excessive for a young mother with small children, so it is crazy to claim three or four psychoactive prescription drugs is of little consequence.

The fact she was prescribed thirteen different drugs, means she was drug seeking, and not willing to wait, or try other wellness oriented type treatments. The only other situation in which so many drugs would be prescribed over such a short period of time, is if the person is in the hospital, and cannot be controlled – like completely and totally off the deep end, screaming incoherently, not sleeping or eating, or settling down at all. Otherwise, even if a person is very psychotic, the doctor will prescribe a drug, and then monitor the effects for a period of at least two or three weeks before making changes.

Obtaining prescriptions for thirteen different medications, means she was repeatedly going to the doctor. Was she drug seeking? Or could she have been setting up an insanity defence? As a nurse, she would know there are limits to what one can take, how many, and the fact that most medications take time to work, or create a blood level. So the excessive doctor’s visits and drug seeking also raises red flags.

It has also been reported she was making numerous Facebook posts about all the medications, and attempts to seek treatments. Was she trying to set up a scenario for long term disability so she did not have to return to work? It seems odd to post such personal mental health details on Facebook, but then again, we live in a tell all world these days. Even so, it could come back to haunt her, as it might be interpreted as setting the stage, or as attempts to manipulate impressions or outcomes.

In the case of Andrea Yates, she was prescribed Haldol, a potent antipsychotic, which is also very sedating. For many reasons it has since been discontinued, and pulled from the shelves. Andrea Yates was outwardly sicker than Lindsay Clancy, in that she had frequent delusions, suicide attempts, and psychotic episodes. However both of them were coherent and somewhat logical. I have seen and listened to mentally ill patients who can hardly string sentences together, and if they can, they make no sense at all. They will constantly talk about, or refer to things no one else can see, and often the hallucinations are vivid, detailed, and grandiose.

Neither one of these women were openly psychotic. When Andrea Yates killed all five of her children, she did have the presence of mind to lock up the family dog, as well as to call the police after the fact, and calmly tell them to come to the residence. She also called her husband, and told him to come home. She knew what she had done, and like Lindsay Clancy, she did it during a brief timeframe of being alone with the children. Therefore, in both cases, they knew what they were doing was wrong, and there was a clear plan to hide the crimes while they carried them out. They were calculating, with clarity of thought processes, advanced planning, and premeditation in what they did. They were not incoherent, or babbling about being chased by crimson coloured flying demons.

In the case of Lindsay Clancy, she was behaving normal, and was able to drive, run errands, take her children to appointments etc. which is quite amazing, given the sedating effects of benzodiazepines. In my opinion, both of these cases prove that doctors, specifically psychiatrists, are ordering potent drugs without giving consideration to the care of small children, or the safety of driving.

Just as a person with epilepsy who has seizures, will lose a driver’s license for a period of time, so too should those who are prescribed antipsychotics, and sedative drugs, especially given the fact they are also mentally unstable, and presumedly unpredictable. Even a prescription for many of the SSRI’s can lead to erratic behaviours and suicidal ideation, therefore they should not be prescribed with such brazen indifference to the reactions, or drug interactions that might occur. In addition to the driving considerations, the children’s services should be notified, as one would reasonably presume – if a person is psychotic or suicidal, they cannot possibly look after young children.

The other thing to consider in all cases, is there is a family dynamic involved, which is a contributing factor, and is often overlooked or downplayed. In the case of Andrea Yates, her husband appeared to be insane as well, and was chatty, and very inappropriate following the murders. Although he was a professional engineer working for NASA, he had the family living in a converted school bus for part of the time. He was also a religious extremist, and thought it was just fine to keep having babies, in spite of his wife’s deteriorating mental health, and inability to cope.

Perhaps one of the truisms we can take away from such tragedies, is rather than view children as extensions of, or as possessions of their parents, they are in fact God’s children first and foremost, and His creation, and are known to God before they are even conceived.

The Bible does say God gives us breath, which is the spirit of life. He breathes life into us at birth, which makes taking breath away, an incredible violation of God’s gift of life. All of creation comes from, and belongs to God. Without God there would not be any life at all. So to treat children as an extension of self is narcissism, and is not in the best interest of the child.

It is also true that many people who develop psychosis or delusions will become immersed in religious interpretations, often based on cultish religious leaders, or misinterpretations of what they read in the Bible. They tend to focus on demons, hell, punishment and drum up a rescue of sorts, or at least will make claims to be saving the children from hell, or demonic possession, etc.

The Bible and the promises contained within the gospel, never advises people to be violent, or to kill or harm another person, much less a child. All instructions given in the Bible revolve around love, forgiveness, perseverance, hope, salvation, and repentance. Anyone who enters into a cycle of torment and punishment based on religious beliefs, is delusional and psychotic. In many cases cultish type delusions are the most dangerous of all, because a person can genuinely believe they are hearing voices or instructions from God, when they are actually experiencing auditory hallucinations.

All deviations from the truth of the gospel such as with cult religions, narcissistic religious leaders, control freaks who use the Bible as a deceptive form of authority, and those who lose touch with reality, and enter a supernatural world, are probably the most dangerous forms of mental illness. Throughout history there have been many cult leaders who coerced large groups of people into committing mass murders, and mass suicides, to include sacrificing innocent children. The Bible describes the fruits of the spirit as being: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faith, gentleness and self-control. Therefore any beliefs involving religious deviations from the truths in the Bible, are based on false, and deceptive religions and cults. 

None of the beliefs, no matter how far fetched, or how psychotic and delusional they are, should absolve any person of the responsibility of committing violent crimes against innocent people. It is not the psychosis that commits the crime. It is people who carry out the criminal acts, and if they carry out crimes of violence and murder, they must be held accountable, with a priority to protect others from any further harm. Pity for psychosis lacks an appropriate, and just empathy for the victims. It is misplaced, and provides an excuse for violent crimes without accountability. The vast majority of people who are mentally ill and suffer from delusions and psychosis, do not commit violent crimes.

In my opinion, we cannot give ourselves over to evil, commit horrific crimes, and then blame it on psychosis. Self control cannot be the responsibility of someone other than self. Every adult learns about self control as they mature, and if no one developed self control, the world would be in a perpetual state of anarchy, chaos, disorder and violence. Innocent people need to be protected from unbridled out of control violence, regardless of the underlying reasons for the violence.

I believe people with serious mental health disorders should receive treatment, but if they commit violent crimes, they must also be held accountable for those crimes, and face the same length of incarceration as a non-psychotic person would face. Otherwise there is not much incentive to maintain self control, and to overcome the negatives in our lives.

One of the glaring contradictions in all of this, is that when a father murders his young children, it is seen as an act of rage, domestic violence, and revenge. He is almost always viewed as a monster. Very little sympathy is extended toward fathers who kill. But in the case of horrific child murders involving mothers attacking, and annihilating their young children, there is much more compassion, and an outpouring of sympathy.

I am much more skeptical of all people who intentionally harm young children. Although I realize both parents can face extenuating circumstances, and debilitating mental illnesses, we should never lose sight of the victims, and how truly helpless children are, if an adult caregiver decides to harm them.

In both the Andrea Yates and the Lindsay Clancy cases, in spite of all the talk of having suicidal ideation, neither one of them took their own life. Both were kinder to themselves, and gave their own lives a fighting chance, compared to what they gave to their children. Yates did nothing to herself at all, even though she thought she was demon possessed too. She sat down and waited for the police to arrive instead of taking things a step further and ending her own life.

After murdering all three children, Lindsay went upstairs and made a half hearted attempt to cut herself, without damaging any major arteries, even though she had a working knowledge of anatomy and physiology. She could have put a rope around her neck and hung herself, cutting off her airway as she had just done to her children. But she did not cut off her own air supply.

Instead she jumped from a second story window. Most people would know, they are likely to survive such a fall, even if they do get  injured. In spite of the fact there are reports she is paralyzed, it may not be permanent, and she could be pretending to have no feeling in her legs. I know it sounds harsh to say she might be faking paralysis, but it is quite possible, in order to gain sympathy.

It is not always possible to determine if there is irreversible damage to the spinal cord, especially with lower back injuries. Many people with lower back injuries have been told they will never walk again, only to get up and walk out of the hospital just days or weeks later. She also asked almost immediately if she needed an attorney, which is a clear indication, she is invested in her own well being, and already intends to try and reduce any consequences she might be facing. Does she have remorse? It is almost unfathomable to be lacking remorse in such a situation, but who knows? Time will tell I suppose.

I think the end results with both of these nurses actions, speaks to homicidal rage, as opposed to being suicidal. But it does bring to focus the fact that suicidal ideation, and homicidal actions, can be closely related. If a person loses value for his or her own life, the people around them are at risk as well.

Perhaps the most shocking commonality between these two women, was the inclination to keep having more children, in spite of the fact they seemed to realize they were mentally ill. In spite of the fact they were both educated as nurses, and knew how to prevent conception. In spite of the fact they already had a healthy family, and could have stopped at having one or two children, if they found the demands of raising young children to be overwhelming.

Both of them continued to have more children, and continued to express the desire to have even more. Lindsay was making comments about getting pregnant again, even when she was still on maternity leave, and in the midst of her downward spiral into murdering all of her children.

And surprisingly, the husbands in both cases also seemed to think this was all okay, even though their wives were showing signs of faltering mental health, and a complete failure to cope. It seems there was a lack of realistic expectations, and self awareness. Clearly, logic was not in the equation for some reason. Perhaps it is due to an over romanticized vision of extending oneself by having more children, or pride in the concept of fertility. That’s just a guess, because it is hard to conceive of any other reasons.

I think in all cases of murder, there is a motive, and also a degree of insanity, whether it is due to drugs, personality disorders, evil inclinations, unbridled rage, or a predisposition to mental illness. When a parent murders a child, I believe there is often a complex family dynamic involving resentment and revenge.

Years ago, I recall reading about a case where a father, and mother were separated, and in a heated custody battle. When the father had the children one weekend, he called his ex-wife, and forced her to listen to him shoot the children, as she screamed for them to run. Also, many embittered custody battles have contributed to spousal murders, and murder for hire, involving both men and women as perpetrators of such crimes.

In fact, many cases of spousal and child murders are related to family breakdown and custody battles, therefore the revenge motive is likely a root cause in child murders. If there is to be a better understanding, and a way to prevent such tragedies, there are certain things to consider. The courts are often viewed as unfair toward the fathers. Men with more money and influence, can often wield power over the woman. These things lay the groundwork for bitter battles, where both might lose sight of the best interest of the children.

Parental separation, dysfunction, and conflict creates a battleground with innocent victims. In the case of Lindsay Clancy and Andrea Yates, the medication they were prescribed did not protect the children, did not cure their illnesses, and quite possibly contributed to the tragedies.

All cases of severe postpartum depression where potent medications are prescribed should have proper follow up, and arrangements made for the care of the children. There should also be an in-depth family assessment, because it does appear to be worsened by a complex relationship dynamic, unreasonable expectations, and simmering resentments.

The extended family should never be shut out of a family, as they are the most likely ones to offer loving, and practical interventions that might help the family through a crisis. If there is abuse or shunning toward one member of the family, there is a risk for others in the family to be abused or mistreated as well. If those with the most power, abuse power over the weaker members of the family, it creates an unhealthy dynamic that can be manifested for several generations. Deception, greed, and abuse of power are the silent killers of the family.

The issue of postpartum depression is one most women can relate to, at least to some extent. There are many hormonal changes, a lack of sleep, and often overwhelming responsibilities that young women must face. It is exacerbated if there is a lack of family support, single parenting, drug and alcohol abuse, inadequate resources, financial stressors, excessive workload, and a lack of positive social interactions.

We all do crazy things throughout our lifetimes, but some things are over the top. Another example of extremism, although it may seem less notorious, is the case of the famous British woman mountaineer Alison Hargreaves. She embarked on a dangerous and rigorous climb of the north face of Mt. Eiger when she was six months pregnant. Some people would consider that to be quite a feat. Others would consider it to be insane and reckless endangerment, even though it is considered to be an accomplishment. Ultimately the effects on her children turned out to be devastating, with long term consequences.

Following the climb while pregnant, when her children were still very young, she did a successful solo hike of Mt. Everest without a sherpa, and without supplemental oxygen. However in 1995, while hiking with a group on the formidable K2 mountain, she succumbed to the elements in a storm, when her children were just four and six years old.

The tragedy did not stop there. Her son Tom Ballard, who she was pregnant with on the Mt. Eiger climb, grew up to follow in his mother’s footsteps as a fearless climber. He was just six years old when his mother died, and he too died climbing, just twenty four years later.

Although these family tragedies seem far removed from each other, they do illustrate how selfish ambition, and a variety of unknown stressors, can lead up to extreme losses. In the case of the British climber and mother, Alison Hargreaves, the family was faced with many financial pressures, and a foreclosure on their home. Her role as a professional climber, made her the sole breadwinner, and ended up being a contributing factor in the risks she took.

When faced with criticism, many people chimed in with opinions about men going on high risk climbs, without as much derision toward them for leaving young children behind. They gave accolades and encouragement to women climbers, in a quest to be more equal in the mountaineering challenges.

In all cases, the choices adults make, whether male or female, and the family dynamics created by those choices, can have an insurmountable effect on the children.

Under the surface of all the foggy and errant vision, causing people to lose the path, they are often due to selfish or ill-conceived pursuits, or anger, or the attempt to prove something. Then out of the blue, there is a storm, a loss of control, or a moment of madness, leading to a most regrettable outcome.

In some cases, there is no turning back. In the case of Lindsay Clancy and Andrea Yates, they set up scenarios they can never go back on, or find relief from. They can never recover. They cannot bring those lives back. They cannot change what they did.

They did plan it, and embark on an irreversible plot, for reasons we may never know. In the case of Lindsay, she may look back on her youth, her suburban life with three beautiful children, a career, and a husband, and wonder why on earth she did what she did.

Whatever her regrets, and whether or not she is destined to a life in a wheelchair, or a life sentence in jail, what could ever make her take such a course? It does not appear she met the criteria for being legally insane. Yet, whatever her motives were, there is no more solid ground under her feet, no more snowmen to build, and no more normal life to lead. If normal was hard to cope with, what is in store for her now? Life as she knew it is gone forever, buried under an avalanche of rage, that came tumbling down off an icy ridge.

Our pursuits and decisions in life are so often tied to things without merit, that could give way to catastrophic outcomes. At the end of each day, or better yet, at the beginning of each day, we would be wise to give thanks, to count our blessings, and to carefully consider the path we are on. Because certain wrong turns, can never be remedied.

Some falls go into a cavernous abyss, with no bottom, and no end in sight – leaving nothing but a gaping question mark as to why, and what could have been done to prevent it?

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2023). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.