You can watch the trial live on CBS News Boston in the embedded video or on YouTube when court is in session.
Dr. Kirk Heilbrun will be back on the stand a day after his testimony was cut short when he started talking about Clancy’s Catholic religion. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington called for a mistrial. Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan denied it, but he reprimanded the prosecution for the testimony.
Reddington will cross-examine Heilbrun Tuesday.
Once Heilbrun finishes his testimony, one more prosecution rebuttal witness is expected on the stand. Then, all sides will discuss the next steps in the trial. Closing arguments could be held as early as Wednesday.
Dr. Kirk Heilbrun testimony
Continuing his testimony on Tuesday, Heilbrun said Clancy told him there was no decision-making involved in the murders and that she was just responding to a voice. But he said, “there’s many ongoing decisions that have to be made to accomplish a killing like this in 18 to 20 minutes,” such as the location and what to say to the children.
He said in his clinical opinion, Clancy is criminally responsible for killing her children.
“She retained an awareness of the illegality of killing others, including killing her children,” Heilbrun said. “Her moral awareness of the wrongfulness of the killing was influenced by her strong desire to die and if she were dead, not to leave her children behind.”
Reddington says judge made “good effort” with jury instruction
Speaking to reporters outside court Tuesday morning, Reddington says he believes Judge Sullivan made a “good effort” in telling the jury to disregard the religious testimony. Sullivan told jurors that Heilbrun’s remarks about Clancy’s Catholic faith were “immaterial, irrelevant and to be disregarded” before sending them home for the day.
“The judge made his ruling and instructed the jury,” Reddington said. “I think it’s pretty apparent these jurors are dedicated, they’ll listen to his instruction and i have no doubt that we’ll finish the case out today.”
Lindsay Clancy trial
Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder in the deaths of her three children – 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan – in their Duxbury, Massachusetts home on Jan. 24, 2023. She has admitted to the killings, but her attorney said she should not be held criminally responsible because she was overmedicated and suffering from postpartum psychosis.
Prosecutors said Clancy planned the murders. If she’s convicted of first-degree murder she faces life in prison without parole. If the jury determines Clancy was not criminally responsible, she will be sent to a state psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts.
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