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Last week, I took you through the devastating events of January 24, 2023, the night Lindsay Clancy’s three young children,...
On January 24, 2023, what began as an ordinary evening for a young Massachusetts family ended in an unimaginable tragedy....
When an entire family is lost, it’s easy for the headlines to focus on the person responsible. In this episode,...
When a murder ends in suicide, investigators lose one of the most important pieces of the puzzle—the person who could...
BONUS AUDIO: SHARED WITH PERMISSION FROM ALLIE’S FRIEND BONUS AUDIO: SHARED WITH PERMISSION FROM ALLIE’S FRIEND What happens when a...
What happens when someone disappears… after they’ve already died? In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m exploring one of...
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m examining the heartbreaking murder of 32-year-old Caroline Piña Cairo, a mother of...
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m covering the heartbreaking case involving Amy Steadman and the tragic family deaths...
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m examining the disturbing case of Shawn Michael Grate, a serial killer whose...
Who am I, and how did I end up investigating death for a living? Originally released as Episode One, I’m...
In last week’s episode, I explored the tragic death of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf and the events that unfolded during a...
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m covering the heartbreaking case of 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, a high school student...
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m covering the heartbreaking case of Rachel Castillo, a young mother whose disappearance...
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m covering the mysterious death of Spencer Irwin, a 30-year-old Fresno City College...
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m covering the tragic and deeply disturbing case of Sonia Exelby, a 32-year-old...
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I continue Inside the Crime That Shook a Community with Part Three, focusing...
In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I continue the heartbreaking case of 7-year-old Athena Strand. This is Part Two...
Pushing Up Lilies
Dissect the science behind some of the most spine-tingling, unusual and terrifyingly true crime stories with Julie Mattson, a seasoned Forensic Nurse Death Investigator in this gripping weekly podcast.
Julie’s unique approach to investigations is informed by her background in nursing, which allows her to provide an in-depth analysis of the medical intricacies and physiological aspects of each case.
With her compassionate storytelling and unwavering dedication to uncovering the truth, Julie takes you on a thrilling journey into the world of forensic science, shining a light on the intersection of medicine, justice and criminal investigation.
In “Pushing Up Lilies,” Julie’s expert medical analysis will captivate your imagination and challenge your understanding of the human body’s role in solving the most complex and enigmatic criminal case.
Last week, I took you through the devastating events of January 24, 2023, the night Lindsay Clancy’s three young children, Cora, Dawson, and Callan, were fatally harmed inside their family home in Duxbury, Massachusetts.
This week, we move from the home to the courtroom.
In The Lindsay Clancy Trial: Psychosis, Premeditation, or Both?, I take a closer look at one of the most complicated questions surrounding this case:
What was happening in Lindsay Clancy’s mind when her children died?
Lindsay’s mental health before the deaths has become a critical part of understanding the case. Her treatment, medications, reported symptoms, and concerns surrounding postpartum mental illness raise difficult questions about postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, and about how severe psychiatric illness affects criminal responsibility.
But there is another side to this case.
The circumstances surrounding that night also raise questions about planning and awareness. Lindsay’s husband, Patrick, left the home to run errands. During the relatively short period he was gone, the lives of all three children were changed forever.
So how does the legal system distinguish between an intentional, premeditated act and an act committed by someone experiencing profound psychosis?
Can a person appear organized or purposeful while simultaneously experiencing a severe break from reality?
And where does mental illness end and legal responsibility begin?
As a nurse and former forensic death investigator, I’m particularly interested in the intersection between the medical evidence and the investigative evidence. A case like this cannot be understood through one piece of information alone. We have to look at the timeline, behavior, medical and psychiatric history, physical evidence, statements, expert opinions, and what investigators were able to establish.
We also have to remember why this trial is happening.
Three young children lost their lives.
Whatever conclusions are ultimately reached about Lindsay’s mental state and criminal responsibility, Cora, Dawson, and Callan remain at the center of this case.
In this episode, I explore the competing questions surrounding the Lindsay Clancy trial and the challenge of evaluating a case in which mental illness and evidence of apparent planning may exist alongside one another.
Was this postpartum psychosis?
Was it premeditation?
Or is the truth more complicated than either explanation alone?
Join me for Part Two of the Lindsay Clancy case on Pushing Up Lilies:
The Lindsay Clancy Trial: Psychosis, Premeditation, or Both?
