The Lindsay Clancy Trial, Day 19: Mistrial Over "Mortal Sin"

Day 19 of the Lindsay Clancy murder trial in Plymouth Superior Court, and the prosecution's rebuttal case fell apart in slow motion. Forensic psychologist Dr. Kirk Heilbrun called the postpartum psychosis defense "convenient," offered the clearest alternate theory yet, and then said the words "isn't suicide a mortal sin" in front of the jury. Kevin Reddington moved for a mistrial.

Judge William Sullivan denied it and then reprimanded the prosecution anyway. The jury went home early. Closing arguments are Wednesday.

But the story nobody is covering is the firm. Both of the Commonwealth's rebuttal experts were retained through Park Dietz and Associates, named for the psychiatrist whose false Law & Order testimony got Andrea Yates' conviction overturned in 2005. The defense's star witness on Friday was Dr. Phillip Resnick, who was the Yates defense expert. This trial is a rematch, and the two prosecution experts cannot even agree on what is wrong with Lindsay Clancy.

IN THIS EPISODE

Reddington takes apart Dr. Avram Mack on the DSM's four week postpartum window, the WHO's different standard, and the proposed six week revision. "Postpartum is not a disease, doctor." Mack admits it is roughly the third time in his career he has testified on criminal responsibility, and that he has treated about ten women with postpartum psychosis since 2001. On cross he concedes that blood work and thyroid testing should have been done, and as far as he can tell were not.

Then the firm. Park Dietz and Associates, the Andrea Yates conviction reversal, the joint evaluation at Tewksbury, and why "two independent experts" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.

Then Heilbrun. His testing found no malingering and a slight tendency to underreport symptoms. He diagnosed bipolar II, which splits the Commonwealth's own two experts. He offered "suicide combined with altruistic filicide" as the alternate theory, a theory in which love is the motive. He attacked the 18 minute voice on three fronts. And he used the word "convenient."


Then the mistrial. "Intentional misconduct," Sullivan's instruction from the bench, and the second time religion has entered this trial through the prosecution's door.



SOURCES
Boston Globe, CBS Boston, ABC News, Boston 25 News, CNN, Fox News Digital, Court TV, and archival reporting from the Washington Post, NBC News and Psychiatric News on the 2005 Andrea Yates reversal.

IF YOU NEED IT
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: call or text 1-833-TLC-MAMA. Free, confidential, 24/7.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988.


Keywords:
Lindsay Clancy trial, Duxbury Massachusetts, Plymouth Superior Court, postpartum psychosis, insanity defense, Kirk Heilbrun, Avram Mack, Kevin Reddington, Judge William Sullivan, Park Dietz, Andrea Yates, altruistic filicide, true crime podcast, trial coverage

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