Why The Lindsay Clancy Case Is Going To Have Difficulty Finding Experts On Homicidal Postpartum Depression
I just read an article, which I will post in a link at the end of this blog post. It is an expert psychiatric assessment on the reviews and overview of women who kill their children. Apparently maternal homicide is more common in the US than any other country, however they did do a study on this topic covering thirty-nine different countries. In each case the study group was very small.
Sadly child homicide is listed in the top three or four causes of death for children. The term for it is filicide, and for newborns or infants, is called infanticide. Although a high percentage of women experience postpartum depression, very few take it to the extreme of actually harming or murdering their child, or all of their children.
However, something not addressed in the article is the fact that throughout history, there have been times of increased child homicides, some of them religious or occult in nature. In other cases, it was due to extreme hardship, in particular famine. The Bible has quite a few references to infant and child homicide, along with descriptions of some of the depravity leading up to it. Some of the atrocities cited are absolutely horrific.
Another topic not covered in the article is the use of, or overuse of psychoactive medications. I suppose the field of psychiatry would not be prone to taking any responsibility for the possibility that the very medications they prescribe might be contributing factors. Therefore, all expert psychiatric testimony might also carry an element of self protection, denial, and conflict of interest. However when you look at the background, and evidence from some of these famous cases, the mother was prescribed a range of potent psychotropic medications prior to the murders.
In other literature there are numerous articles written about suicidal and homicidal ideation for a percentage of those who take SSRI’s as it is a commonly prescribed antidepressant. In addition, antipsychotic medication played a role in the death of the Andrea Yates five children, because she was taking the drug Haldol, which was a potent and commonly prescribed antipsychotic used during that time frame, and has since been pulled from the market. There is a long list of reasons, and adverse reactions to demonstrate why it was finally removed as a general treatment for psychosis. As it is with so many other harmful medications, it took years before Haldol was finally taken out of general use, in order to protect the public.
In the case of Lindsay Clancy, she was prescribed a chemical soup of psychiatric medications, thirteen in total, but was apparently taking around four medications at the time of the murders. It is difficult to understand why a nurse would be willing to take so many potent medications, when she is caring for small children. One would presume she would know about the many severe side effects associated with such drugs, to include unpredictable reactions, confused thoughts, and irreversible, life altering movement disorders.
People immediately jump on the band wagon about mental illness, postpartum depression, and the lack of resources, lack of help, etc. In this case, it has been reported that Lindsay Clancy was going to an outpatient clinic five days a week. She was frequenting doctors so often, she had a long list of medications prescribed to her over a short time frame. Most people would not even see that many for one patient in a forensic psychiatric facility. Why was she so obsessive about seeking more medications, when she was functioning, going places, interacting with others, driving, etc.? How can anyone expect to feel wonderful every minute of every day?
It seemed she was totally obsessed with how she was feeling, as opposed to caring for a family. What mother does not experience fatigue, bad days, and resentment toward her spouse and child care at times? What is most abnormal, is the homicidal ideation, not the fact a person experiences depression or anxiety.
Historically, countless women have gone through far worse, and would never give a thought to killing their children. Women have lived through domestic violence, poverty, addictions, severe depression, severe illnesses, war, multiple births, washing clothes by hand or wringer washing machines, doing chores on a farm right after giving birth, living in forty below weather with only wood and coal to heat their homes, no running water, and so on. For the vast majority, killing their children is not even considered to be an option. In fact, most woman would die in order to save their children.
It is true that many women experience postpartum depression. But it is also true that most of those who do experience it, would never harm their child. To use this one very atypical case to make any kind of blanket judgements, or excuses for such an act of violence and premeditated murder, is a stretch we probably do not want to make. Lindsay Clancy in my opinion, had far more going on in her personality, and beliefs than what met the eye.
Her husband was working from home. She had family support, medical insurance, an education, and she kept detailed records of every nuance of her mental health, her anxiety, her thoughts, not wanting to go back to work, etc. Was this more about narcissism than anything else? Or was she setting the stage for a plan she already had in the back of her mind? Did she resent having to provide for, and care for the demands of small children? If life revolved around her, it might explain why she could not tolerate the attention given to her own children.
Sadly, there are certain traits or cases of narcissism where a mother believes the children are an extension of herself. She also might believe that since she gave them life, it is within her power to take away their lives.
Also it is interesting to note, her husband worked from a basement office in their home. She killed the children in the basement, and recently I read the little boy was found in his office. What was she trying to convey?
It is also disturbing to consider her choice of ligature. Did the children interfere with her time for exercise? Did they rob her of a perfect body? People are inclined to delve into the psyche of such an atrocity. Why exercise bands as opposed to some other type of ligature? These are a few more questions to be contemplated, because this woman did seem to know what she was doing. Resentment could very well be at the root of it all.
In recent years, the treatments for depression and psychiatric disorders has had more mind altering medications added to the chemical soup, to include ketamine and psilocybin. Nothing like introducing drugs that cause psychosis, hallucinations, and dissociative reactions, all under the guise of helping people. If they were not crazy to begin with, there is a cocktail of drugs to help them on their way. Once a person starts down this path, they may, or may not come back with all their faculties intact.
Using hallucinogens in psychiatric experiments is nothing new, because there are shady stories involving LSD, the CIA, and murders, using excessive amounts of LSD, often without the patient’s consent or awareness, going back to the sixties and seventies. Obviously I am digressing a fair bit from the professional article I just read. But as an RN, over the years, I must have handed out a million pills, and witnessed the side effects of those medications as well.
Historically, when there has been a rise in fascism, often psychiatry is at the forefront of torture and murder. First through poisoning with drugs, then the person becomes delusional and psychotic, and the next thing you know they are gone. Or they develop such severe movement disorders, they must be hospitalized, which places them at the mercy of more drugs, and even worse reactions.
I remember one psych patient who was in her late forties at the time I knew her. The psych nurse who ran a small facility to care for chronically ill psych patients told me she knew this woman years prior to all the treatment, when she was a normal person. She said she had been very intelligent, socially outgoing, articulate, and had been a school teacher. Over just a few years after she sought treatment, she had received so many medications and ECT treatments, she was no longer functional. She could hardly speak, could not take care of herself, and was an empty shell of her former self. What caused her to embark on such a journey? Apparently she sought treatment for a mild depression following the birth of her last child.
When a person is started on such medications, no one other than those close to them knows what they were like before they started taking the medications. The health care system assumes there must have been a legitimate and serious mental health disorder for a person to be prescribed antipsychotics. But it is not always the case, and there is no real documented baseline to go by. The psychiatrist is the one who prescribes the medications, and oversees the patient. People in the system seldom question his/her authority, and one thing to be aware of, psychiatrists are hooked on prescribing drugs. They often prescribe antipsychotics when there is absolutely no evidence or history of psychosis. Mind altering medications are designed to take control away from the patient, and hand it over to a “doctor” who often does not have the best interests of the patient in mind. Some do – but the profession itself is rife with abuse.
Once it has been established the person is mentally ill and under psychiatric care, it is easy to explain away why they jumped out of a window, committed suicide, or simply disappeared. Psychiatry also has a dark history of torture and experiments with people’s minds. In addition to the overuse of unproven drugs, other so-called therapies have included sleep deprivation, insulin shock, electric shock, nitrous oxide, and cryotherapy. All people should proceed with extreme caution, when navigating this highly questionable mind blowing industry.
Psychiatry as a specialty did not come into existence until the 1800’s, and initially was concerned primarily with those who were obviously very sick. At one time, people who had gone mad were locked away out of sight in deplorable conditions, and in some cases, they were even chained to trees. The early studies of mental health revolved around those who were manic, psychotic, brain injured, and considered to be complete lunatics. Until the 1800’s it was assumed people who were insane were possessed by demons.
The treatments in psychiatry for the population in general, have only been recently studied, and developed in the past hundred years or so. The bottom line is that human psychology, and the behavioural results of abnormal psychology, are poorly understood to this day. The same goes for all the medication used to treat the errant brain.
What makes people tick to make them sick? No doubt it is based on a galaxy of crossed motives, combined with genetics, neurochemistry, external influences, circumstances, stressors, resentments, manipulations, emotional instability, other over riding illnesses, spiritual beliefs, lack of self-awareness, intrinsic personality disorders, hormonal imbalances, poor diet, drugs, poor coping mechanisms, lack of exercise, lack of support systems, poor internal boundaries, poor impulse control, degree of self-centredness, the early development or lack of conscience, and family of origin experiences.
Can the things contributing to mental illness be overcome? Why not? As long as we have functioning brains, we can evaluate and make lifestyle changes to improve our stability and cognition. Diet and exercise make a huge difference. A commitment to maintaining self-control and stability, means you will not become insane. Above all, don’t seek a quick fix with pills. We should be able to trust our minds. One of the verses in the Bible I have found to be a great comfort:
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and a sound mind.”
Now that I am older and wiser, I will take the Bible verses to heart over a pill any day. I do believe we are spiritual beings, and we need faith to help us overcome fear, anger and hopelessness more than we need to be medicated.
It is true, there are certain violent, psychotic and unstable people, who will become very dangerous if they do not take their medications. These are people who have to be institutionalized, and monitored closely, because they have no control over violent impulses. In all cases, they will also have had trouble with the law, a history of assaults, and a variety of other criminal behaviours.
Generally people who have depression or anxiety, do not fit into the same category as the out of control violent offenders. In fact, statistics show that more than 50% of all people will be diagnosed with a mental health disorder at some point in their life. Fortunately they do not all become homicidal maniacs. Of the 50% who are never diagnosed, there is no doubt they too, had to cope with anxiety, depression, addiction, or some other mental health disorder at some point. Struggles are a part of life. It does not mean we are all crazy, and in need of potent drugs.
The biggest question we should ask ourselves, is why the struggles and challenges we face throughout our lives are being diagnosed as mental illness? Just a few years ago, in depression screening, if a person was still grieving a loss such as the death of a spouse a year later, the person would be diagnosed and treated for depression, usually with SSRI antidepressants. Now the time frame for those who are grieving to be diagnosed with depression is just two weeks. It’s taking away the natural progression, and adjustments that are required in order to adapt to a loss. When people are grieving they are vulnerable, which makes them easy to exploit.
The DSM manual is referred to as a diagnostic bible for mental health disorders. Over the past fifty years the number of mental health disorders listed in the book has grown from forty or so, to several hundred. And it continues to evolve and grow exponentially. If you look at how they go about adding the various disorders, as well as who is behind it all, you would give your head a shake. It all sounds so academically uppity, but there is a motive to their madness orientation, and it is spelled medication.
One of the major pharmaceutical companies, when promoting drugs specifically for women, told the ghost writers and researchers “to dumb it down” for their target market. Nice eh? Now I see there are articles in the media claiming women are the fasted growing population with Alzheimers. Could it be because women live longer? Could it be because they want to promote HRT, or hormonal replacement drugs? What woman in her right mind, would not be incentivized to keep her mind?
Working in the health care field has made me cynical, and skeptical, with regards to the profit motives, in over medicating people. Over the years, I also noticed how much the drug companies minimize side effects. They would send drug reps to give the educational lectures for nurses.
We were then given post-basic educational credits for the drug company indoctrination. We used to just look at each other, and roll our eyes. I am more inclined to trust nature versus “her-ture” or “her-cure” carefully dumbed down for women.
We have already given them far too much business. The DSM and pharmaceutical influences, are turning mental health into a medicalized metaphor of fast fashion. How much of this diagnostic mania is “headed” for the landfills? At least with cheap clothes, they can be discarded more easily, than we can detoxify our minds, and bodies of weird drugs that no one fully understands. Even the brilliant corporate bigwigs and psychiatrists admit they don’t know how most of the psychoactive medications work, but they will smugly add “we just know they do work.” Oh really? How profound.
To top it off the entire scope of diagnostics around mental health has no measuring stick, no real diagnostic criteria, no blood work, no ultrasound, or X-rays. They can do CT scans and MRI’s to determine if there is an organic brain disorder, or tumours. But as far as generalized anxiety and depression, it’s all based on perception. One must also differentiate whether or not it is the patient’s perception, or the doctor’s perception. There are many incentives to medicate people.
The article states that the percentage of men who kill their children is roughly equal to that of women. It also describes the high risk period in the immediate postnatal period of time, as having certain defining factors. Those high risk factors include unwanted pregnancies, teenage pregnancies, lack of support, lack of education, lack of a stable home environment, addiction, past trauma, etc.
In some countries if children are killed by the mother within the first year after birth, it is automatically considered to be a mental health issue, as opposed to a criminal act. It seems pretty clear that any mother who would kill her children is mentally ill. But the cause and the motives remain unclear, especially in cases where the mother is educated, supported, and living an outwardly normal life.
The case of Lindsay Clancy is probably one of the most perplexing cases of all, as it was clearly a premeditated act. If a sleep deprived, depressed mother throws her colicky baby against a wall at 3 am – it would be understood as an impulsive act. If a mentally ill woman gets to the stage where she is hearing voices, rambling on an on about UFOs or demons, and is increasingly erratic, dishevelled, and unable to care for herself or anyone else, it is also pretty obvious that she cannot take on any added responsibility.
But with Lindsay Clancy, she was driving, going to appointments, talking normally, sending photos of building snowmen, etc. without any cause for alarm. Unlike most severely mentally ill people, she was able to dress herself and the children, and carry out activities of daily living.
In addition, she was able to calculate the timelines to carry out the murders to the minute. She sent her husband on an errand, and checked the length of time on an Internet map to find out how long it would take to complete those errands. She had it figured out well in advance. Murder begins in the heart, then the thoughts, then the planning, then the action. It is interesting to note that many murderers, to include depressed and homicidal mothers, will create a detailed to do list, which is often located by police when doing the investigation.
Some of those lists are chilling, like all the purchases they need to make are put onto a shopping list. Things like shovel, gloves, tarp, bleach, and other cleaning supplies. You would think when it comes to the actual planning, most people would come to their senses. But the evidence ends up proving otherwise.
In many cases the delusions, or self deception surrounding murder, revolves around mercy killing, sending the person to heaven, doing the world and God a favour, etc. Such is the capacity for denial and self deception. It also explains why so many refuse to take responsibility for their crimes, firmly believing they had no other choice, or that it was done through a fault not attributed to themselves. A lack of remorse is a dire indication of psychopathy and evil.
In one comment section on the Lindsay Clancy case, a person claiming to be a healthcare professional, said it was not Lindsay who carried out the murders, but rather it was the psychosis that carried out the murders. Apparently she had nothing to do with it. How people come up with such skewed logic is beyond me. I don’t believe she should be automatically hanged by public opinion. Nor do I believe she should be automatically exonerated. Hopefully, the judicial system is intact enough to present the evidence, along with balanced legal arguments.
From what is known already, Lindsay Clancy also created a to do list. It has been reported she calculated the timelines through Internet map checks, and sent her husband to a takeout place, further away than the normal takeout places they would use to get food. She also asked him to stop at a drug store to buy a children’s laxative, which is really strange, considering what her plans were. It shows she was putting on an act of normalcy, added to the errand, to stall the husband, in order to give herself enough time to carry out the murders. Apparently she also acted cheerful, and normal on that particular day, so there was no cause for alarm.
Her husband claimed she had been having a “good day, one of her better days.” Incredible really. Much more so, than if she had been acting strangely. She very capably hid her true motives and plans from all those around her. No doubt it will be a bone to chew on for the prosecution, and a difficult scenario to defend. They can hardly claim she was deranged, and sick beyond comprehension.
Andrea Yates also had a to do list, in that she waited until her husband was gone for an hour or so. She also had only a brief window of time, because her mother or mother-in-law was due to arrive to help care for the children, knowing Andrea was in a state of depression and mental instability.
Andrea Yates, like Lindsay Clancy, used that very brief window of time, when alone with the children, to carry out a calculated and premeditated to do list. Yates filled the bath tub with water, locked up the dog, and systematically drowned five children, one after the other. Following that, she laid them out, and posed them, with the baby in the crook of the arm of her big brother. Then she sat down and calmly made some phone calls.
Lindsay Clancy also executed a homicidal to do list, which begs the question whether or not these women had more in common with the general homicidal population, as opposed to the issue of postpartum depression. Of course, this is pure speculation on my part. People simply do not want to believe mothers can be murderers. But murder is something people in the general population can carry out, and mothers are part of the general population.
In my opinion what is most alarming is the outpouring of support for Lindsay Clancy, claiming what a wonderful perfect mother she was. Perhaps the issue of perfectionism, and the illusion of perfectionism versus reality needs to be explored more. If young women grow up with the idea of getting married and living happily ever after, with a white picket fence, and a romantic vision of a perfect life, perhaps they become quite disillusioned over time.
Given what she did, is it really in her best interests to have all her friends and co-workers write hundreds of letters claiming she was the perfect mother, and a wonderful caring nurse? Then how does anyone reconcile what she did, while still giving an outward appearance of being normal? Perhaps these claims prove she was adept at hiding her true self, and the rage within her? Perhaps it proves she was a master manipulator?
It just seems odd to watch a case unfold where a mother murders all three of her children, and clearly planned to do so, followed by a million dollars in donations to the husband. Even though those funds supposedly cannot be used for her legal fees, the couple is still married, and she would be entitled to half the assets.
There is a fine line between compassion and leniency to include financial gain. It is not a good sign to see society demonstrate such an outpouring of support to bury three children, as a result of homicide, without consequences, combined with a significant financial gain.
The very sympathetic lawyer claimed she was suffering severe postpartum depression, and tried to join her children in death. If that were the case, she would be dead. She knew how to make sure the children had zero chance of survival, and she did not make a lethal attempt on her own life. Would she have jumped from a fifteenth story window? A second story window onto the grass below, is not likely to be fatal. Some things are quite obvious. In addition, during all the fund raising, and initial outpouring of sympathy, there were claims she was paralyzed. Those claims have already turned out to be false. Apparently she is now moving her legs, and is clearly not paralyzed.
Diane Downs drove to a remote location, and shot her three children. She then shot herself in the arm, and drove very slowly to the hospital. When she got there she claimed a bushy haired man had shot them. The children’s injuries were fatal, or critically life threatening, while hers was quite minor.
Darlie Routier viciously stabbed her two young boys to death, and then cut herself. She was out of the hospital, and doing a macabre birthday party, singing, laughing, chewing gum, and casting silly string on the gravesites, just a week later. Clearly her injuries were not the least bit life threatening. Some people claim her injuries could have been fatal, just like Lindsay Clancy’s injuries could have been fatal. But they were not fatal, and what they could have been does not count. It is pure conjecture to say what they could have been.
When we say to ourselves, something is wrong with this picture, there is perhaps no greater contradictions of motherly love than what we see in the Lindsay Clancy case, especially when combined with public perception. Another shocking element is when it was reported her first question after being taken to the hospital was “do I need an attorney?”
Wouldn’t you think she would be overwhelmed with grief and remorse, and unconsolable, if she did what she did in a moment of psychotic madness? Besides that, no one strangles three people in a moment. How did she know for certain all the children were dead? Wouldn’t you think that might have been her first question? After all, the youngest one was transferred to hospital, and did not die until three days later. If what the news reports have said is true, concern for those children did not even cross her mind. Her first concern was for herself, which speaks volumes.
There was no outpouring of public support for other notorious child murderers, even though there might have been sympathy for a mental illness that would lead to such atrocities. The motives of Diane Downs, and Susan Smith became apparent with the investigation, as both were having affairs, and wanting their freedom. The motives of Andrea Yates appeared to be religious delusions.
The outpouring of support for Lindsay Clancy, in my opinion, it is far too early in the investigation to draw definitive conclusions, and overlook other possible motives. The couple’s financial records may come to light, as well as whether or not there had been any extramarital affairs, or a rocky relationship with her spouse. Many child homicides are based on revenge toward the other parent.
As far as what kind of expert psychiatric testimony might be brought forward in the Lindsay Clancy case, the article by some of the experts in the field, serves to highlight how little is known about postpartum depression and filicide. The entire goal of understanding something as disturbing as child homicide, is or should be, to find ways to prevent it.
In my opinion, in cases of mental instability or failure to cope, the mother should be relieved of caregiving duties for a period of time. If she is still functional, she should go swimming three or four times a week, or get other forms of fresh air and exercise, as well as a nutrient rich diet. She should also have hobbies, and outside interests that help validate her as a human being, as opposed to being delegated to housework, cooking, and caregiving as the primary basis of her self identity. For some women, being stuck at home with children feels like a trap, unless there are other outlets to help balance the demands of caregiving.
The other thing about “getting help” as so many people seem to focus on, revolves around seeing doctors and psychiatrists, which means being prescribed potent and often addictive medications that further mess with the brain, and hormonal system.
Benzodiazepines, first in the genre of Valium aka “mother’s little helpers” a phrase coined by the Rolling Stones in the sixties, created a plethora of addicted and zombie like mothers. They then had the complex, and additional task of dealing with a raging addiction. Now the same class of drugs is re-labelled as Xanax, Clonazepam, and Ativan, among others. But the effects are the same.
In order to avoid such tragedies, perhaps we need to rethink what help for mental illness really means. It could very well be out of our range to understand what is in the heart and mind of another individual. But rather than view help as being a wholly psychiatric issue, perhaps it should be more grassroots.
Real help might mean family members taking over child care, cleaning, laundry, making meals, offering financial supports, and helping husbands to be more aware of what needs to be done around the house. It might mean finding ways to increase positive social interactions with other adults.
One of the sad realities is that the world is full of flawed and character disordered individuals. In fact, there is no such thing as a perfect mother, even though some are more saintly than others. At present, we do not have the answers. However we all should find ways to take care of our own mental health, and maintain self-control regardless of the circumstances we are in. After all if a person cannot control themselves, who can?
The Lindsay Clancy case was by definition a mass murder, which involves the killing of two or more victims within a short time frame. The leniency or support for the killer should not be automatic, and we should not lose sight of the innocent victims. In addition, the attention, outpouring of support, money, and sympathy, might create copycat crimes, or a justification for other desperate mothers to do the same.
Societal laws and attitudes should protect children above all else. Let’s hope we don’t lose sight of that, regardless of the outcome of this particular case. Below is the link providing some insight into the psychiatry, and defence that might be mounted to reduce the consequences of the crimes.
https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/pdf/10.1176/appi.ajp.162.9.1578
Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2023). Unauthorised use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.