Third child strangled by mother suffering from postpartum psychosis dies three days after his two siblings: Eight-month-old Callan succumbs to injuries after mother’s attack at Massachusetts home while husband went to pick up food
- Callan Clancy died on Friday morning, three days after being attacked
- His siblings Cora, 5, and Dawson, 3, died after they were strangled by their mom
- Midwife Lindsay Clancy currently remains in hospital under guard by police
- If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the 24hr National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
A baby boy strangled by his mother alongside his brother and sister has died three days after his siblings.
Lindsay Clancy, 32, is accused of killing her daughter Cora, 5, son Dawson, 3, and now baby Callan, who was eight months old, at the family home in Massachusetts.
Plymouth County District Attorney confirmed that Callan died at a Boston area hospital on Friday morning. Clancy is being treated in hospital under police custody and is expected to be arraigned on homicide charges when she is released.
Clancy and Callan initially survived the apparent murder-suicide attempt – the mother-of-three jumped out of a window on the property’s top floor.
Lindsay Clancy, 32, is accused of killing her daughter Cora, 5, son Dawson, 3, and now baby Callan, who was eight months old, at the family home in Massachusetts. Pictured L-R: Lindsay, Dawson, Corey and husband Patrick
Plymouth County District Attorney confirmed that Callan died at a Boston area hospital on Friday morning
Her horrified husband, Patrick, 34, discovered Clancy lying unconscious outside their home at around 6pm on Tuesday and called 911. He had ‘popped out for 25 minutes’ to collect a takeout order.
Investigators are probing if the midwife was suffering from postpartum psychosis, as she was on leave from her job at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Friends of the Clancy family have set up a GoFundMe to support Patrick and assist in paying for medical bills, funeral bills and legal bills.
So far it has raised $438,224 of the $700k goal, with the page adding: ‘This assistance is especially needed because Pat will be unable to work for the foreseeable future as he weathers this painful, life-altering tragedy.
‘We all know Pat to be the most kind and genuine person. As someone who is always willing to support others, we sincerely thank you for offering yours.’
Her horrified husband, Patrick, 34, discovered Clancy lying unconscious outside their home when he returned from work at around 6pm on Tuesday and called 911
Tributes have been laid outside the home where the tragedy occurred, with balloons and flowers left by well-wishers piling up
Callan was initially the only child to survive the incident, but he died on Friday morning
A vigil took place on Thursday night at the Holy Family Church in Duxbury, with a priest saying that the mother had been ‘trying to deal with mental illness’ before becoming ‘overwhelmed’.
Officers arrived at the family home on Tuesday after a frantic Patrick had discovered his wife unconscious on the ground below a second-floor window.
They discovered the three young children ‘unconscious’ upstairs ‘with obvious signs of trauma’.
Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz said it appeared that they had all been strangled.
Cora and Dawson were pronounced dead on arrival at hospital, while Callan was given CPR at the scene.
They discovered the three young children ‘unconscious’ upstairs ‘with obvious signs of trauma’ on Tuesday evening
Friends of the Clancy family have set up a GoFundMe to support Patrick and assist in paying for medical bills, funeral bills and legal bills.
Father Patrick Clancy was out for 25 minutes to grab takeout for his family when he found his wife, Lindsay, unconscious after dropping from their second-floor window. Inside their home, daughter Cora (left) and son Dawson (right) were dead
Clancy will be arraigned on charges including two counts of homicide and three each for strangulation and assault and battery with a deadly weapon for the deaths of her two children.
It is expected that further charges will be added for the death of Callan.
Cruz said they will now conduct autopsies to determine how the children died. Findings will be made public when a death certificate is issued.
In a press conference, Cruz said of the family: ‘I cannot begin to fathom the pain, the depths of pain they must be feeling.
‘This is an unimaginable, senseless tragedy, and it is an ongoing investigation.’
Cruz warned, ‘nobody’s here to speculate’, adding ‘we’re well aware of the fact that anybody charged with a criminal crime is presumed innocence until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.’
Neighbors and those who do not know the family have added their own offerings
Five-year-old Cora and three-year-old Dawson were pronounced dead on arrival to hospital
Clancy, pictured with Cora as a baby, was a midwife at Massachusetts General Hospital
He wrapped up the conference by saying: ‘Certainly our hearts and condolences go up to the Clancy family’.
Lindsay Clancey’s father-in-law, Christopher Clancy, said: ‘We’re all heartbroken right now.’
Duxbury Fire Chief Robert Reardon and Deputy Chief Brian Monahan issued a joint statement that urged responders to reach out if they’re having trouble coping.
They said: ‘Tragedies like these are always difficult to comprehend and process.
‘We are all left struggling with many emotions. Please know that all public safety personnel have been offered, and will continue to be offered, needed support.’
The Wareham Fire Department showed their love for the Clancy family, the three young children who died and their fellow first responders by adding to a memorial of flowers and stuffed animals.
Clancy had previously shared online that she was struggling with postpartum anxiety.
While Lindsay appeared to be a proud mother on Facebook, she shared about struggling with postpartum anxiety after the birth of her latest child.
Heartbreaking pictures show Cora, right and Dawson, left, smiling together. The siblings were pronounced dead at hospital
Duxbury Police work at the scene where the two children were found dead on Tuesday night
Clancy pictured with her husband Patrick, 34, who called authorities after finding her lying unconscious outside their home on Tuesday evening
Last July, she wrote that six weeks after the child’s birth, she was feeling ‘dialed in’ and sought to focus on exercise, nutrition and her mindset, which she claimed ‘made all the difference.’
In 2020, she wrote online: ‘So unbelievably thankful for this family and life,’ along with doting images of her children.
Feelings of depression can be common after childbirth, but on rare occasions, they can lead to full postpartum psychosis.
In this extreme form of PPD, a mother can suffer from severe depression and hallucinations which can lead her to harm herself, her children, or both.
The hospital where Lindsay works said in a statement: ‘We are shocked and saddened to learn of this unthinkable tragedy. We extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by these devastating events.’
If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, call the 24hr National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255; contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741; or chat with someone online at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Postpartum Depression: How struggling new mothers can experience extreme effects, from ‘baby blues’ to psychosis
New mothers can often experience anxiety and depression after child birth, but those feelings can intensify and endure into Postpartum Depression (PPD) and Psychosis.
The first stage is often referred to as the ‘Baby Blues,’ which typically only lasts a few days to two weeks after child birth.
These blues typically cause mild mood swings, anxiety, sadness, irritability, crying, appetite problems and trouble sleeping.
If those feelings persist, the blues can be diagnosed as PPD, which is linked to chemical, social and psychological changes that take place after having a baby, and can be treated with medication and counseling.
Symptoms of PPD include: severe mood swings, inability to sleep, feelings of hopelessness, severe anxiety and panic attacks, and thoughts of harming yourself or your baby.
PPD can affect 1 in 10 mothers, but if not treated, the condition can worsen and evolve to Post Partum Psychosis.
This serious mental illness often happens within the first three months after child birth and occurs in about one in 1,000 new mothers.
Under Postpartum Psychosis, women can experience hallucinations, delusions, insomnia and paranoia.
In its most extreme form, women with Postpartum Psychosis can make attempts at harming themselves, their children, or both.
PPD is threadedly differently depending on the types of symptoms and severity.
The conditions is typically treated with anti-anxiety or antidepressant medication, psychotherapy and participation in emotional support groups.
Source: The Mayo Clinic
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