A psychiatric nurse practitioner who treated Lindsay Clancy in the weeks before the deaths of her three children testified that Clancy repeatedly requested changes to her medications as she struggled with anxiety, depression and severe insomnia.
Rebecca Jollotta, who worked with South Shore Hospital’s perinatal behavioral health program, took the stand Tuesday during Clancy’s murder trial. She described a treatment period in late November and December 2022 during which Clancy frequently contacted her about the effects she believed her medications were having.
According to Jollotta, Clancy said some of the medications were causing intrusive thoughts, sleep problems and emotional numbness. She also expressed concern about becoming dependent on benzodiazepines.
In one message, Clancy described the situation as frightening and stressful, explaining that starting new medications and dealing with their potential side effects made her anxious.
Jollotta said she acknowledged those concerns but advised Clancy that psychiatric medications could take several weeks before their full effects became apparent. At the time, Jollotta believed Clancy’s symptoms were more consistent with postpartum depression than medication side effects.
“All of this sounds like postpartum depression,” Jollotta wrote to her.
Jollotta’s testimony came during the third week of Clancy’s trial, where she faces three murder charges 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 intentionally strangled the children at the family’s Duxbury home on Jan. 24, 2023, before attempting to take her own life. They have argued that she acted deliberately and made decisions about her mental health treatment in the months leading up to the killings.
The defense has presented a very different account. Clancy’s attorneys argue that she was experiencing a severe postpartum psychiatric illness that developed into psychosis, leaving her unable to understand or control her actions and therefore not criminally responsible.
Jollotta testified that she had considered whether Clancy’s insomnia could be related to bipolar disorder. During a Dec. 6 appointment, Clancy reportedly told her that taking Zoloft had once kept her awake for approximately 48 hours.
Jollotta described that reaction as unusual and said it raised the possibility of an underlying bipolar condition. She was also concerned that Clancy could have been experiencing a mixed manic or hypomanic state, involving symptoms associated with mania alongside depression.
Clancy’s sleep later improved, but Jollotta said she continued to report feelings of hopelessness and emotional numbness.
On Dec. 15, Clancy reported ongoing suicidal thoughts and went to the emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital. She also received treatment at Women & Infants Hospital in Rhode Island before being discharged.
Jollotta last communicated with Clancy on Dec. 21.
Despite the concerns surrounding Clancy’s mental health, Jollotta testified that Clancy was actively involved in her treatment and capable of explaining her concerns and advocating for herself. She said Clancy’s thinking appeared clear and organized and that Clancy never told her she had a plan to hurt herself or her children.
During cross-examination, Jollotta acknowledged that she worked with both Clancy and her husband, Patrick, when deciding to discontinue certain medications based on their feedback.
Other mental health professionals have also testified about Clancy’s treatment history.
Dr. Jennifer Tufts, Clancy’s primary psychiatrist, previously told the jury that she met with Clancy 14 times between September 2022 and January 2023. Her medications were repeatedly adjusted as Clancy struggled with anxiety, depression and insomnia.
By late 2022 and early 2023, Clancy had taken roughly a dozen different medications while doctors attempted to determine an effective treatment approach.
Tufts recalled Clancy once saying, “I think it’s my problem. I keep reaching out to different people and not sticking with the plan.”
The defense has questioned Tufts’ experience and treatment methods, including her reliance on telemedicine. All 14 of Tufts’ appointments with Clancy were conducted remotely, meaning the two did not meet in person before the trial.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington also challenged Tufts over her prescribing decisions and medical records, at times leading to objections from prosecutors.
Another psychiatric nurse practitioner, Julie Paul, testified that Clancy was experiencing anxiety, racing thoughts and feeling overwhelmed in November 2022 — symptoms Paul described as common among postpartum patients.
Paul prescribed Prozac and explained that it would take time to work. But Clancy contacted her only days later because she wanted to try a different medication.
Clancy’s defense has also raised concerns about the psychiatric treatment she received before the killings. She has filed a civil malpractice lawsuit against Tufts, Jollotta and other healthcare providers.
The murder trial is expected to continue for several more weeks. Clancy faces life in prison if convicted and is currently being held at Tewksbury Hospital, a Massachusetts facility specializing in mental health treatment.
