In a courtroom revelation that left many stunned, the final text messages exchanged between Lindsay Clancy and her then-husband Patrick on the day their three young children died were read aloud this week. The ordinary conversation about dinner plans unfolded just over an hour before authorities say the 36-year-old mother from Duxbury, Mᴀssachusetts, took the lives of Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan inside the family home.

The exchange began at 4:53 p.m. on January 24, 2023. “Any chance you want to do take out from ThreeV,” Lindsay texted. “I didn’t cook anything. It’s been a long day.”

Patrick replied simply, “Yeah.”

“Okie doke,” she answered. “Check the menu when you can.”

He asked what she planned to order. Minutes later she sent her choice: “Mediterranean Power bowl.” He responded with his own selection of scallops and pork belly risotto. The conversation also touched on their infant son’s short nap. Nothing in the messages suggested the horror that would follow.

Patrick left to pick up medicine for their daughter at a nearby pharmacy and then collect the food. When he returned home shortly after 6 p.m., he discovered an unimaginable scene. Two of the children were already gone. The baby was clinging to life. Outside, he found Lindsay lying in the backyard after she had jumped from a second-story window in an apparent attempt on her own life. She had also injured her wrists and neck, according to testimony, and suffered partial paralysis from the fall.

The text messages were introduced through the testimony of State Trooper Timothy Chiappini, who examined Lindsay’s cellphone. Earlier that same morning the couple had exchanged messages about Cora’s medical appointment. Lindsay reported that the child’s urine looked good and her kidneys appeared fine. Patrick replied with praise: “Oh wow. You’re a good momma.”

The case has centered on sharply opposing narratives. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington is asking the jury to find Lindsay not guilty by reason of insanity. He argues she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and was driven by voices that compelled the acts. Prosecutors maintain she carefully planned the killings because she wanted a break from the demands of raising three young children.

Jurors also heard about a series of concerning internet searches Lindsay made in the days and weeks before the tragedy. Four days earlier she had searched “can you treat a sociopath?” Other queries included methods related to self-harm and questions about disabling airbags in a Kia Sorento. A private note she wrote on her phone in November 2022, months before the events, revealed she had wanted a fourth child.

Toward the end of the court day, the jury was shown surveillance video from January 8, 2023, less than three weeks earlier. The footage captured the family at a science museum. Lindsay appeared with baby Callan in a carrier on her chest while interacting with Dawson and Cora at the exhibits. Patrick was also present and engaged with the older children. The ordinary family outing stood in stark contrast to the events that followed.

Thursday marked the close of the third week of trial. The jury is not scheduled to sit on Friday and will return Monday morning.

The text messages, the internet history, the family video, and the competing explanations of mental illness versus deliberate planning now sit before the jury. What began as an ordinary weekday exchange about takeout has become one of the most haunting pieces of evidence in a case that continues to grip the courtroom and the public.

Source: New York Post