BREAKING: Judge abruptly halts Lindsay Clancy trial, sends jury home after individual questioning

Day 17 of the trial for the Massachusetts mother charged with killing her three young children, Lindsay Clancy, came to an abrupt halt on Thursday, with the judge sending jurors home for the day early on. 

Court was in session for roughly two hours, with the judge beginning the day individually questioning jurors for reasons currently unknown. This comes after the judge ended Wednesday’s hearing in the early afternoon, saying it was for an unforeseen circumstance. 

Thursday’s brief hearing saw testimony from Sheila Cavanaugh, a chaplain at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who is the defense’s last witness in the case. Per Fox News, closing arguments are expected to take place on Monday.

During her testimony, Cavanaugh said when she first met with Clancy, she had been intubated and was unable to speak. She was first able to converse with Clancy in the end of January of 2023, describing Clancy as having an emotional state that was “very neutral,” and a “flat affect.” She said the first thing Clancy had told her was “I am so glad my children are safe.” She said she replied, “Lindsay, your children are safe, They’re safe in heaven with God.”

Cavanaugh said Clancy “alluded to having heard a voice” that told her “that if she did not follow the command, neither she nor her children would be safe.” Cavanaugh said Clancy “alluded to the fact that it was a male voice and it was persistent.” She said the voice came up in multiple of her 14 meetings with Clancy at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Cavanaugh said she continued to meet with Clancy when she was transferred to Spauling Rehab, and when she was transferred to Tewksbury State Hospital.

The prosecution questioned Cavanaugh on the notes she kept regarding her conversations with Clancy, saying, “in all of these notes that detail every time you interacted with her, you never once wrote that she told you she heard a voice or what that voice said correct?” Cavanaugh said this was correct.

Cavanaugh said chaplain notes “are not verbatim transcripts of patients’ conversations.” 

The prosecutor said other portions of Cavanaugh’s conversations with Clancy had been written down, including Clancy’s fears about not being able to walk again.