Patrick Clancy speaks publicly about children’s deaths

Published: 21 September 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

Patrick Clancy, the former husband of Lindsay Clancy, has spoken publicly for the first time in a televised interview about the deaths of their three children and the events surrounding the 2023 tragedy. In an interview broadcast by 60 Minutes on Sunday, Clancy described the devastating period leading up to the killings, his efforts to understand his former wife’s mental health struggles and the profound impact the deaths have had on his life.

The case has attracted widespread attention in the United States, particularly because of questions surrounding postpartum mental illness, criminal responsibility and the treatment available to women experiencing severe psychiatric symptoms after childbirth. Prosecutors in Massachusetts are now considering whether Lindsay Clancy should face a second trial after a jury failed to reach a unanimous decision earlier this month.

Their children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months old, were found strangled at the family home in Massachusetts in 2023. Lindsay Clancy was also seriously injured after attempting to take her own life. She survived and has remained in medical custody while the legal proceedings continue.

During the televised interview, Patrick Clancy also addressed the intense online reaction to the case. Some people who have expressed support for Lindsay Clancy have questioned whether Patrick provided sufficient support for his wife during the period when her mental health was deteriorating. He said the criticism and conspiracy theories surrounding the family had caused additional pain and diverted attention from what he believes should be a central issue in the case: perinatal mental health.

Clancy described the online response as particularly difficult because, in his view, repeated claims about what happened have created confusion about the circumstances surrounding his children’s deaths. He said the debate had caused harm not only to him but also to other people affected by mental health issues.

His comments come at a crucial stage in Lindsay Clancy’s legal case. On 4 September, a judge declared a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Eleven jurors reportedly supported finding Lindsay Clancy not criminally responsible, agreeing that she had been suffering from postpartum psychosis. One juror disagreed with that position and sided with prosecutors, who argued that she understood the nature of her actions.

Massachusetts prosecutors are expected to decide later this month whether to seek another trial. Until that decision is made, the future of the criminal proceedings remains uncertain.

Patrick Clancy recalled that he had first noticed significant changes in his wife’s condition during the autumn of 2022. According to his account, she was experiencing severe sleep deprivation and anxiety. He acknowledged that he had not previously understood how serious postpartum illness could become or how to respond to it.

He said mental illness can be difficult to recognize because its effects may not always be obvious to people close to the individual. Looking back, he said there were likely things he did not understand or recognize at the time.

Lindsay Clancy’s condition reportedly became significantly worse in December 2022. She was subsequently admitted to McLean psychiatric hospital on New Year’s Eve. Her hospitalization became an important part of the later legal arguments concerning her mental state and whether she could be held criminally responsible for the deaths of her children.

The children were allegedly strangled 17 days after Lindsay Clancy was released from the psychiatric hospital. Patrick Clancy described the moments following the incident as among the most devastating of his life. After Callan was taken to hospital and briefly regained a heartbeat, Patrick said he desperately hoped that his youngest child might survive.

He recalled thinking that if even one of his children could be saved, he would devote himself to raising that child and preserving the memory of the two siblings who had died. Callan ultimately died in hospital.

Patrick has consistently attributed the tragedy to his former wife’s severe mental illness. He has also said that he has forgiven her, a position that contrasts sharply with some public portrayals of Lindsay Clancy as a deliberately violent mother.

Rather than describing her solely through the circumstances of the deaths, Patrick has emphasized the role he believes mental illness played in the tragedy. He has rejected descriptions such as “killer mom” and “baby murderer”, saying such labels fail to capture the complexity of what happened and can obscure broader discussions about postpartum psychiatric illness.

At the same time, Patrick has acknowledged his own sense of responsibility and grief. He said he believes he did the best he could with the information and understanding available to him at the time, while accepting that he must live with the consequences every day.

The tragedy fundamentally changed his life. Patrick said his life came to a sudden halt following the deaths and that he experienced suicidal thoughts in the aftermath. Eventually, he moved to New York City, where he hoped to find greater privacy and an environment in which he could grieve without constant public attention.

There, he said, he was able to mourn his children more openly. He kept belongings that had belonged to them and gradually began rebuilding his life. He later met his second wife, Rachel Danis, through a running club.

Danis appeared alongside Patrick during the televised interview and spoke about the continuing process of grief. She acknowledged that she cannot reverse what happened or bring the children back, but said she wants to support Patrick, allow him to grieve and help keep the memory of the children alive.

Patrick also said that speaking with specialists connected with Postpartum Support International helped him process the experience. His comments have brought renewed attention to the emotional consequences that can follow a family tragedy involving severe perinatal mental illness.

The legal proceedings have also expanded beyond the criminal case. Lindsay and Patrick Clancy have separately filed medical malpractice lawsuits involving doctors and hospitals connected with Lindsay’s treatment. Lindsay’s lawsuit alleges negligence and medical malpractice, while Patrick’s lawsuit alleges wrongful death.

Those cases could raise further questions about the medical care Lindsay received before the deaths and the extent to which her deteriorating condition was identified and addressed. However, the legal claims remain allegations and will be subject to the relevant court proceedings.

For now, Lindsay Clancy remains at a hospital in Tewksbury, Massachusetts. The Plymouth County district attorney has not yet announced whether prosecutors will seek to retry her.

Patrick Clancy’s interview has placed his personal grief alongside the wider debate over postpartum psychosis and perinatal mental health. His account does not resolve the legal questions surrounding Lindsay Clancy’s criminal responsibility, but it offers a personal perspective on a tragedy that has affected a family and generated a much broader discussion about psychiatric illness, medical care and the challenges faced by families trying to recognize severe mental health problems after childbirth.