US father explains decision to forgive wife who killed their three children

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Patrick Clancy

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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Patrick Clancy, the ex-husband of US mother Lindsay Clancy, has explained why he forgave her after she was accused of killing their three children, saying he feared he would have been “eaten up inside forever” if he had not reached that point.

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Speaking in an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes, Patrick said he believed Lindsay’s severe mental illness played a role in the deaths of their children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months.

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Lindsay, 36, has not disputed that she killed the children, while her defence team argued that she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible.

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Her murder trial ended in a mistrial earlier this month after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Prosecutors have yet to announce whether they will seek a retrial.

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Patrick said his decision to forgive Lindsay came partly in response to the way she was being described publicly.

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‘I saw headlines that said, you know, “Killer Mom”, “Baby Murderer”, and “Monster”.’ And none of them were accurate,” he said.

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“I believe that it was her mental illness that caused that. So I shared those words. And I think when it comes to forgiveness, I also felt that if I didn’t get there, I would be eaten up inside forever.”

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Patrick said Lindsay never asked him for forgiveness, but he chose to forgive her.

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“No. But I gave it to her,” he said when asked whether she had ever sought his forgiveness.

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The couple’s three children died in January 2023 after prosecutors alleged that Lindsay strangled them at their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, before jumping from a second-floor window in an apparent suicide attempt.

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Patrick said he had noticed his wife’s mental health deteriorating months before the tragedy but did not know how to manage postpartum illness.

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“I didn’t know how to manage a postpartum illness. I think mental illness has this ability to be tragically deceptive. So I’m sure there are things that I didn’t see,” he said.

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He also rejected suggestions that he had failed his family in the period leading up to the killings.

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“I think I did the best I could with what I had at the time. And I live with the outcome. I live with it every day,” Patrick said.

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Patrick recalled the devastating aftermath of the tragedy, including the death of his youngest child, Callan, who survived for four days after being taken to hospital.

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“I got to hold him. I got to lie down next to him. And he died in my arms,” he said.

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The grief became so overwhelming that Patrick said he experienced suicidal thoughts.

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“There was a time when I didn’t think I would live to see my 35th birthday. And I was completely fine with it,” he said.

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He later moved from Duxbury to New York City, saying he needed anonymity and a place where he could grieve away from the intense attention surrounding the case.

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The tragedy has also been followed by intense online speculation about Patrick, including accusations that he was somehow responsible for his children’s deaths.

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Patrick described the speculation as deeply harmful, saying it distracted from what he believes should be the central issue: perinatal mental health.

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“It is a huge distraction from what really matters here, which is perinatal mental health. And it’s done real harm to real people, myself included but also others,” he said.

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He also said the online attacks had affected his ability to appear in public.

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“It’s painful to see. And it makes it difficult to be in public,” Patrick said.

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Lindsay’s defence argued during the trial that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when the children died. The case remains unresolved following the mistrial, with Lindsay still being held in a psychiatric hospital while prosecutors decide whether to pursue another trial.

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Patrick has since remarried Dr Rachel Danis, and the couple are starting a family.

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He said he intends to ensure that his future children know about their late siblings.

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“I think every parent can agree, you have different relationships with your kids, but they’re all your kids. And I can’t wait to tell them about their brothers and sister,” he said.

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