Lindsay Clancy appears in person in court for first time
lindsay clancy, the Duxbury mother charged in the deaths of her three children, was brought to Plymouth Superior Court for a 2 p. m. hearing on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, marking her first full in-person appearance in the case. The short proceeding focused on pretrial scheduling and defense motions that will shape her July trial.
Lindsay Clancy wheeled into court, silent except for brief answers
Clad in all black with a silver cross, Clancy was transported by a Plymouth County Sheriff's Office wheelchair van for the 2 p. m. hearing on Feb. 20, 2026 and was assisted into the Obery Street courtroom with nurses and EMTs sitting in the gallery on standby. The 35-year-old, who has pleaded not guilty, answered the judge only to greet him and to tell defense attorney Kevin Reddington whether she preferred to appear in person for the next scheduled hearing on March 2.
Defense seeks a two-stage trial and videotaped psychiatric interview
On Feb. 19, defense counsel filed three motions asking the court for a bifurcated trial, videotaping of the Commonwealth’s psychiatric expert’s interview of Clancy, and early access to a pool of potential jurors. Reddington asked that the first phase focus solely on whether the Commonwealth can prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt and that a second phase consider whether Clancy was suffering from a mental disease or defect that left her unable to appreciate criminality or conform her conduct to the law.
Charges, medical status and contested testing procedures
Prosecutors charge Clancy with strangling 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan in the family home in January 2023; she has pleaded not guilty. The defense has said it will pursue an insanity defense tied to postpartum psychosis and other mental-health issues, while prosecutors have argued Clancy did not suffer from postpartum depression. Clancy became paraplegic after she harmed herself and jumped from a second-story window the night of the deaths, a little more than three years ago, and has been held at Tewksbury Hospital since May 2023.
The parties briefly discussed videotaping the psychiatric evaluation at Friday’s 20-minute hearing; both sides agreed to taping the expert interview but the Commonwealth objected to videotaping Clancy while she completes proprietary testing materials. The courtroom exchange noted a 64-mile distance between Tewksbury Hospital and the Obery Street courthouse, a trip that can take more than an hour, which has factored into prior debates about how and whether Clancy should be transported for future hearings.
Clancy’s parents attended the Feb. 20 hearing and spoke afterward, with her mother saying, "She’s a loving mother, " and her father adding, "We love our daughter very much. " Reddington thanked court personnel, the sheriff’s office and Tewksbury medical staff for coordinating the transport and care that allowed Clancy to appear in person.
Next steps set in court include oral arguments on outstanding issues, including the bifurcation request, on March 2; a mental evaluation by an expert chosen by prosecutors on April 10; and a further motions hearing on June 18. The trial remains scheduled for July 2026 in Plymouth Superior Court.
