The husband of the woman accused of killing her three children by strangling them before attempting suicide on Tuesday in Massachusetts says he has forgiven his wife and is asking others to do the same, citing a non- specified ailment she reportedly struggled with.
“I want to ask all of you that you find it deep within yourself to forgive Lindsay, as I have,” Patrick Clancy said of his wife in the statement, released Saturday and reported by NBC Boston. “The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring to everyone – me, our children, family, friends and her patients. The fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace find.”
In his statement, Patrick Clancy said the couple’s marriage was “wonderful and grew diametrically stronger as her condition rapidly deteriorated.”
“I was just as proud to be her husband as I was to be a father, and I felt continually lucky to have her in my life,” he continued.
Further details about Lindsay Clancy’s alleged condition were not immediately available. Patrick Clancy’s family could not be reached immediately.
“We mutually understood the reality that people can have bad days, but we stuck to the rule that when one of us got lost, the other was always there to take them home, always,” his statement said. “She loved being a nurse, but nothing beat her intense love for our children and dedication to being a mother. It was all she ever wanted. Her passion taught me how to be a better father.”
Previously a Massachusetts General Hospital representative confirmed to NBC Boston that Lindsay Clancy was an employee there and said the hospital was “shocked and saddened to learn of this unthinkable tragedy”.
No new charges after death of third child
Authorities on Wednesday issued an arrest warrant for Lindsay Clancy on two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation, and three counts of assault and battery with a deadly weapon in connection with the deaths of her 5-year-old daughter, Cora, and 3-year-old son, Dawson. Her 8-month-old son, Callan, died Friday after being “severely injured”. NBC Boston reported.
A spokesman for the Plymouth County District Attorney told NBC News on Sunday that no new charges have been filed following the child’s death, saying Lindsay Clancy is still in the hospital and no arraignment is scheduled at this time.
The spokesperson did not immediately respond to follow-up questions about why no new charges have been filed and whether she is still under police custody.
Plymouth County DA Timothy Cruz had previously said prosecutors would charge Lindsay Clancy with murder as soon as possible.
“The shock and pain is excruciating and relentless”
Patrick Clancy called 911 at 6:11 p.m. ET Tuesday, Cruz said.
Cruz said first responders found the three children unconscious and “with clear signs of severe trauma” at the family’s home in Duxbury, about 35 miles south of Boston.
“For now, it looks like the kids were strangled,” Cruz told reporters late Wednesday.
The two older children were pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, Cruz said. Callan, the baby, was flown to a hospital in Boston before succumbing to his injuries on Friday.
In his statement, Patrick Clancy said his children “gave me purpose and I’ve never taken it for granted. There’s a huge void now where that purpose once was.”
“The shock and pain are excruciating and relentless,” he said of the loss of his children. “I am constantly reminded of them and with what little sleep I get I dream about them over and over. Every parent knows that it is impossible to understand how much you will love your children until you have them. understanding the devastation of losing them. Cora, Dawson and Callan were the essence of my life and I am completely lost without them.”
“My family was the best thing that ever happened to me,” he continued. “I was so proud to be Lindsay’s husband and a father to Cora, Dawson and Callan. I always reminded myself that every day with them was a new gift.”
He described Cora as “stunningly beautiful” with an “infectious laugh”, adding that she wanted to be a doctor and a mother when she grew up; Dawson as “naturally humorous and generous beyond the norm of a typical toddler”, “adventurous and mischievous” and “remarkably smart”; and Callan as “easy going”, “constantly smiling” and “enjoying his growing independence”.
“Callan died with tremendous courage despite being so small,” he added. “Maybe it was his way of showing me what I need to do to keep going.”
Patrick Clancy wrote that he promises to “put all my energy into healing and rediscovering my purpose.”
“I don’t know how or when I’ll be able to do it, but your love and generosity will get me started,” he wrote. “I know that love always wins.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text HOME at 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.