Watch Live: Lindsay Clancy trial resumes with cross-examination of psychologist who met with her after murders

Watch Live: Lindsay Clancy Trial Resumes Day 16

Wertynews.com – The Lindsay Clancy trial resumed at Plymouth Superior Court on Wednesday as prosecutors turned their full attention to a forensic psychologist who evaluated the defendant weeks after she killed her three children. Dr. Paul Zeizel, already on the stand from defense-side testimony delivered the prior day, faced an entire day of cross-examination led by Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington continued to represent Clancy throughout the proceedings.

What Happened in Duxbury

Clancy stands accused of murdering her sons and daughter — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan — inside their Duxbury home on January 24, 2023. She has acknowledged the killings but entered a not-guilty plea to first-degree murder charges. The defense narrative centers on overmedication and postpartum psychosis at the time of the deaths, while prosecutors argue she planned the killings deliberately and then staged a suicide attempt that left her paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.

Zeizel’s Clinical Account

Zeizel met Clancy at a hospital in early February 2023, shortly after the deaths. He described the steps she had taken in the months preceding the murders to seek mental-health treatment, including care in late 2022 for depression accompanied by psychotic symptoms such as dissociation and perceptual disturbances.

“She felt that her brain was damaged, she felt that she should kill herself and she was never going to get any better,” Zeizel testified. “Her concern was that when people could hear her thoughts, her children would be removed from her care.”

He added that Clancy called the suicide hotline twice during December without receiving meaningful assistance. Following her January discharge from McLean Hospital, he said, she continued to report persistent intrusive thoughts and auditory phenomena that worsened progressively over time.

“They were getting worse and they were telling her to kill herself,” he stated.

Zeizel concluded his defense testimony with a formal clinical opinion:

“My opinion is that she did have indeed a mental disease,” he said. “She was unable to conform her behaviors to the rule of law, and she had no appreciation for the wrongfulness of her act.”

Cross-Examination Presses the Voice Question

Buckingham challenged Zeizel on how he came to believe Clancy reported hearing voices. Zeizel explained that he spoke with other individuals, including a chaplain, who relayed her descriptions of auditory experiences. Buckingham pushed back, pointing out that before the murders Clancy had described intrusive thoughts to physicians without ever characterizing them as a commanding voice directing her actions.

“You’re aware that when she described intrusive thoughts, she never referred to them as a voice telling her to kill herself, did she?” Buckingham asked. “No,” Zeizel replied.

What Remains at Stake

A conviction on first-degree murder carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. If the jury determines she was not criminally responsible for her children’s deaths, she would be committed to a Massachusetts state psychiatric hospital rather than sent to prison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the trial being held and what happened on Day 16? Plymouth Superior Court in Massachusetts. Day 16 focused entirely on cross-examination of the defense’s forensic psychologist, Dr. Paul Zeizel, with prosecutors probing the basis of his testimony about auditory experiences.

What charges does Clancy face? First-degree murder for the deaths of her three children. She has admitted the killings but pleaded not guilty, arguing diminished capacity due to postpartum psychosis and overmedication at the time.

How can viewers follow ongoing coverage? CBS News provides live updates and streaming access. Viewers can watch live: