What was the verdict in Commonwealth v. Lindsay Clancy?

No verdict as of Aug 31, 2026. Trial ran July 29 – Aug 28, 2026 in Plymouth Superior Court. Jury began deliberations Aug 28 and is still deliberating. Possible outcomes: guilty, manslaughter, or not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility (McHoul).

What is the McHoul standard?

Under Commonwealth v. McHoul, 352 Mass. 544 (1967), a person is not criminally responsible if, as a result of mental disease or defect, they lacked substantial capacity to appreciate wrongfulness or conform conduct to law. Burden on Commonwealth beyond reasonable doubt.

Where can I watch the trial?

Each of the 14 transcript pages links its YouTube court recording via Court TV / Law&Crime / PBS NewsHour. No Rev.com paywall. See /transcripts and /media.

A Systematic Review of Postpartum Psychosis Resulting in Infanticide: Missed Opportunities in Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Citation

Alford, A.Y., Riggins, A.D., Chopak-Foss, J., Cowan, L.T., Nwaonumah, E.C., Oloyede, T.F., Sejoro, S.T., & Kutten, W.S. (2024). A systematic review of postpartum psychosis resulting in infanticide: missed opportunities in screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Archives of Women's Mental Health, 28(2), 297-308. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00737-024-01508-3

Published

September 2, 2024 (Volume 28, pages 297-308, 2025)

Journal

Archives of Women's Mental Health (Springer Nature)

Authors & Affiliations

Alexandria Y. Alford - Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Georgia Southern University

Alisha D. Riggins - Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Georgia Southern University

Joanne Chopak-Foss - Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Georgia Southern University

Logan T. Cowan - Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Georgia Southern University

Emmanuela C. Nwaonumah - Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Georgia Southern University

Tobi F. Oloyede - Department of Health Policy and Community Health, Georgia Southern University

Sarah T. Sejoro - Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Georgia Southern University

Wendy S. Kutten - Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Environmental Health Sciences, Georgia Southern University

Purpose

Impacting 1 in 1000 women, untreated postpartum psychosis is associated with a 4% infanticide rate. This systematic review aims to identify factors that are associated with infanticide resulting from psychosis in the puerperal period and pinpoint areas of missed opportunity for intervention.

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines to identify and synthesize cases of maternal infanticide among perinatal females with evidence of postpartum psychosis. Four independent reviewers screened 231 articles identified in searches of three databases (PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science) for studies conducted from 2013 to 2023.

Results

Twelve studies were included in the final review. Findings indicate that those experiencing puerperal psychosis have increased incidence of infanticide suggesting missed opportunities for intervention and treatment. Common factors in mothers who committed infanticide as a result of delusions and/or hallucinations associated with PMADs were identified, including:

Lack of standardized screening tools

Preference for traditional and/or cultural healing practices

Access to care barriers

Conclusion

The current body of evidence supports developing and evaluating clinical interventions aimed at improving maternal mental health outcomes and infant outcomes in perinatal women experiencing puerperal psychosis.

Keywords

Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, Psychotic disorders, Infanticide, Women's health

Metrics

2969 Accesses (as of publication search)

13 Citations

75 Altmetric score

Funding

The authors received no funding related to the completion of this article.

Relevance to Clancy Case

This study directly addresses the intersection of postpartum psychosis and infanticide, identifying systemic failures in screening, diagnosis, and treatment that may contribute to tragic outcomes. The finding that untreated PP carries a 4% infanticide rate underscores the clinical significance of this condition.