The Massachusetts mom accused of strangling her two young kids and trying to kill her infant allegedly carried out the shocking attempted murder-suicide while her husband briefly stepped out to pick up a take-out order, a friend has claimed.
Lindsay Clancy, 32, was on leave as a labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital and attending “a very intensive five-day-a-week program for PPD, trying to get help,” local radio host John DePetro reported, citing one of the couple’s friends.
Meanwhile, her husband, Patrick, “was working from home instead of going in to work to be able to try and support her daily,” the friend told DePetro.
Patrick on Tuesday stepped out to get some food, but returned to find the horrific scene at their Duxbury home, DePetro said.
“In the 25 minutes it took him to pick up takeout, the unthinkable happened,” the radio presenter wrote on Twitter.
“Curious to hear a statement from the individuals treating her and what was missed. Sounds like she was in a desperate situation,” he added.
Lindsay allegedly killed her daughter, Cora, 5, and her son Dawson, 3, on Tuesday and tried to kill her 8-month-old son, Calen, before attempting to take her own life.
The revelation about Lindsay’s intense therapy comes as members of the Duxbury community gathered Thursday night for a vigil at Holy Family Church to pray for the family.
Rev. Robert J. Deehan said the community was “devastated and heartbroken” over the tragedy, the Patriot Ledger reported.
“All of us here in Duxbury are beyond devastated and heartbroken at the news of what happened to this young family,” he said, MassLive reported. “Before these tragic events, they were a happy, loving couple and family.”
He said he was praying for Lindsay, noting she was afflicted with “overwhelming mental illness.”
Rev. Bill Williams called for comfort and consolation for Patrick and offered prayers for the emergency workers who responded to the horrific scene.
“Go forth into a dark world with a light,” he said, according to the Patriot Ledger.
Debbie Heath, a mother of a firefighter who responded to the Clancy home, said it was nice to see the community come together.
“It’s still bothering him today,” she told the Boston Globe. “When it’s quiet, that’s when you start. You’re alone with your thoughts. He’s had little breakdowns here and there, but hopefully every day it’ll get a little bit better. But he’s just trying to keep busy right now.”
Fire Chief Robert G. Reardon released a statement before the vigil offering his “thoughts and prayers” for the Clancy family and emergency responders.
The Clancy’s surviving child remains in critical condition at Boston Children’s Hospital, Deehan said.
The mom of three, who is hospitalized under police guard, faces two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation or suffocation, and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, officials said.
After the service, Renae McLaughlin, a nurse providing postpartum care, told the Patriot Ledger that postpartum depression and psychosis are “real” and can affect moms after childbirth.
“They’re overwhelmed,” she said, adding that even though the mental health of mothers is monitored in maternity wards, some cases can be difficult to detect at first.