Patrick Clancy has opened up about the loss of his three children, his decision to forgive his former wife and the online conspiracy theories that followed her mistrial.
Lindsay Clancy is accused of killing their three children, Cora, Dawson and eight-month-old Callan, at their Massachusetts home in January 2023.
Her lawyers do not dispute that she killed the children but argue that she should not be held criminally responsible because she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and severe mental illness at the time.
The case ended in a mistrial, leaving prosecutors to decide whether to try her again.
Patrick, who was the first witness in the trial, said he believed he did everything he could to support Lindsay as she struggled with her mental health.
“I could piece together what it was like to be really, really anxious or depressed, but I didn’t know how to manage a postpartum illness. I think mental illness has this ability to be tragically deceptive,” he said in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes.”
‘I did the best I could’
Patrick said he sometimes questioned whether he could have done more to prevent the deaths.
“I think I did the best I could with what I had at the time, and I live with the outcome,” he said.
“I live with it every day, but I think I did the best I could,” he added.
Patrick testified that Lindsay was a devoted mother who loved her children but had been struggling with stress, anxiety and other mental health problems following childbirth.
Between September 2022 and January 2023, Lindsay was prescribed several medications by different doctors as she tried to find treatment that worked for her.
Patrick said she eventually told him she had thoughts about hurting the children or about them developing an illness. However, he said she did not show any intention of harming them, so he was not concerned for their immediate safety.
On January 24, 2023, Patrick returned home from an errand and found the children in the basement. Lindsay was outside in the backyard, seriously injured.
‘Just give me one kid’
Callan, who was eight months old, was still alive when emergency responders arrived.
He was taken to hospital by air ambulance and survived for four more days.
Patrick said he stayed by his son’s bedside and hoped he would survive.
“I really thought there was a chance that Callan would live,” he said.
“I remember just thinking, ‘Just give me one, just give me one kid’ and I would raise him as best I could and I would give him the best life I possibly could.”
Patrick said he wrote tributes to Cora and Dawson while holding Callan with his other hand.
He also told Callan he was sorry. The baby eventually died in his arms.
Patrick said he continues to talk to all three of his children.
Forgiveness after tragedy
Lindsay has admitted to killing the children from the beginning of the case.
Her lawyers have argued that her mental state at the time made her unable to understand or control her actions.
Patrick said Lindsay told him the killings “felt like a dream.”
Although she never asked him for forgiveness, he said he chose to forgive her.
“I think when it comes to forgiveness, I also felt that if I didn’t get there, I would be eaten up inside forever,” he said.
Patrick also revealed that he struggled with suicidal thoughts after the deaths. He said speaking with experts helped him deal with the grief.
Online conspiracy theories
Patrick has also faced intense scrutiny from social media users and online investigators who have promoted theories about his involvement in the deaths.
He said the claims have been painful and have made it difficult for him to appear in public.
Surveillance footage presented in the case showed Patrick was not at home when prosecutors said the killings occurred.
Patrick said the online speculation has also shifted attention away from his children and the wider issue of perinatal mental health.
His lawyers have announced plans to take legal action over what they described as an ongoing campaign of online conspiracy theories.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not announced whether Lindsay will face a new trial.
A status hearing in the case is scheduled for September 29.
Starting over
After the deaths, Patrick moved to New York City because he wanted to start over and live a more private life.
There, he met Dr. Rachel Danis, a fertility doctor.
The two married in April and are now hoping to start a family together.
Danis has also faced online conspiracy theories connected to her relationship with Patrick.
“I don’t understand how this story has been so twisted,” she said.
“But I would hope people know that Pat is, as I said before, the most selfless father and supportive partner, and I was just a girl that met a guy running in Central Park on a really cold Saturday, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”
Patrick said Danis has helped him cope with his grief.
He also said he wants their future children to know about their late siblings.
“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.
