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The topic of medication came up in comments by both the prosecution and the defense Tuesday as Lindsay Clancy appeared remotely in court to face charges in connection with the deaths of her three children last month.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington previously said Clancy was “overmedicated” when authorities say she strangled her children on Jan. 24 in their Duxbury home.
In Plymouth District Court for Clancy’s arraignment, Reddington said Clancy, 32, was prescribed up to 12 medications while being treated for “postpartum problems.”
Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague said even though that may be the case, Clancy was never on more than four or five medications at a time. Sprague continued, saying Clancy was on three medications on the night of the murders, citing detailed logs she said Clancy kept of her medications.
David Brendel, a psychiatrist, told 7NEWS “it is not uncommon for many medications to be tried in series.” Sometimes, Brendel said, medications may be tried in parallel for complex conditions.
“There were many medications over the course of just a few months there,” he said. “But this was also obviously a very severe condition.”
Brendel said “it’s possible that those medications were warranted.”
He continued, saying there were some entries on the list of medications “that add an extra degree of seriousness and necessary caution,” as they “can be extremely sedative in some cases.”
Brendel said some of the listed medications can also be habit forming.
As Clancy’s defense team laid out its argument, her representatives said they have their own medical experts who are performing evaluations and continuing to monitor Clancy.
The prosecution said it will be retaining its own medical experts as this case continues to move forward.
During her arraignment, Clancy pleaded not guilty to charges of first degree murder and strangulation as she laid in a hospital bed. During the proceedings, Reddington stated that Clancy was not expected to recover “meaningful function” below a spot of her spinal cord following a suicide attempt after the alleged murders, indicating the defendant was effectively paraplegic.
Towards the end of the proceedings, the presiding judge decided not to set monetary bail for Clancy, ordering her to remain in the hospital she is currently in until medically cleared to move to a new facility.
She was also ordered to continue to receive mental health treatment throughout her recovery.
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