A nurse practitioner who treated Lindsay Clancy right before the tragedy says she suspected the mom might have bipolar disorder—but never actually gave her that diagnosis. Now, that revelation is shaking up the courtroom.
Rebecca Jollotta took the stand Tuesday and told the jury that in the weeks before Clancy allegedly strangled her three kids, she noticed signs of a “mixed manic state.” But she never officially diagnosed her with bipolar or postpartum psychosis.
According to testimony, on what Clancy called her “worst day,” she told her husband and the nurse that she was having “persistent and intrusive thoughts of suicide.” That was just one month before the deaths of Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months.
The defense is arguing Clancy was not criminally responsible, claiming she was in the grip of severe postpartum psychosis. But so far, every provider who treated her has said they didn’t believe she was suffering from psychosis.
In a heartbreaking twist, the court heard that Clancy was actually rejected from a specialized outpatient program that Jollotta “strongly” recommended. The reason? She was reportedly on too many medications.
“I can’t speak to that,” Jollotta said when asked about the rejection.
The nurse also revealed that Clancy once messaged her saying, “I feel like I’m going to die and I don’t care.” Jollotta responded that it sounded like depression and assured her it would get better.
Clancy’s lawyer pressed the nurse about the “many, many” prescriptions she was given, including antipsychotics, SSRIs, and benzodiazepines. The defense is pushing the idea that overmedication may have played a role.
The trial continues Thursday, and the big question remains: will Lindsay Clancy take the stand in her own defense?
