Massachusetts mom offers to admit killing 3 children as prosecutors push back on move that could dodge prison

A Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three young children is offering to formally admit she killed them in a dramatic legal move that could shift the focus of her trial to her mental state - and potentially keep her out of prison.

Lindsay Clancy, who was a Duxbury labor and delivery nurse, is willing to formally admit in writing to her role in the killings, according to a new motion filed by defense attorney Kevin Reddington.

The filing, obtained by WCVB5, comes just one week after a judge denied Clancy's request to split her trial into separate phases that would have divided the question of whether she committed the acts from her mental state at the time.

In asking the court to reconsider, Reddington argued that Clancy's admission would leave her mental condition as the central issue for a jury to decide. The filing states that she is willing to formally acknowledge her involvement in the conduct that led to the deaths of her three children.

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If she is ultimately deemed mentally unfit to stand trial, she could be committed to a secure mental health facility rather than face prison under Massachusetts law.

Prosecutors have not agreed to the proposal. They previously opposed the idea of separating the trial, arguing that the evidence presented in each phase would be nearly identical.

Clancy was indicted in September 2023 on three counts of murder and strangulation in connection with the deaths of her children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan.

Prosecutors allege that Clancy used exercise bands to strangle the children inside the family's Duxbury home on Jan. 24, 2023, before attempting to take her own life.

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Her husband, Patrick Clancy, returned home to what court documents describe as silence. He found blood on the floor and an open window before discovering his wife outside with cuts to her wrists and neck. She survived the apparent suicide attempt.

Previously unsealed records, spanning nearly 300 pages, detail Clancy's actions in the hours leading up to the killings.

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According to court documents, she had taken one of her children to a pediatrician appointment earlier that day and contacted a CVS pharmacy about a prescription. She also ordered takeout from a local restaurant and used Apple Maps to calculate travel time from her home.

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Investigators say she then asked her husband to pick up the food and medication, leaving her alone with the children.

Authorities later executed multiple search warrants and collected items from the home, including exercise bands, medications, electronic devices, notebooks, clothing and a knife.

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Clancy's defense team has indicated it will argue she was suffering from severe postpartum depression and was overmedicated at the time of the killings.

Court records show she had been prescribed a number of psychiatric medications, including Zoloft, Prozac, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, Trazodone and Seroquel.

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Her husband previously told a family friend he was concerned she may have been experiencing withdrawal from an anxiety medication in the weeks before the tragedy.

Clancy has also filed a lawsuit against her medical providers, alleging a catastrophic failure in diagnosing and treating her mental health condition.

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Clancy remains paralyzed from the chest down following her suicide attempt, her attorney has said, and is being held at Tewksbury State Hospital where she continues to receive psychiatric care under constant supervision. 

She is expected to undergo a court-ordered forensic mental health evaluation between April 10 and April 12, with a status hearing scheduled for April 23, according to NBC10 Boston. Clancy's trial is scheduled to begin July 20 after being delayed several times.

Fox News Digital's Sarah Whitten-Rumpf and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.