US father explains why he forgave wife who killed their three children

Patrick Clancy, whose three children were killed by his former wife, Lindsay Clancy, has explained why he chose to forgive her despite her never asking for his forgiveness.

In his first televised interview since Lindsay’s murder trial ended in a mistrial, Patrick told CBS News’ 60 Minutes that he believed her mental illness was responsible for the deaths of their children.

Asked by correspondent Ross Douthat whether Lindsay had ever asked for his forgiveness, Patrick replied, “No. But I gave it to her.”

Patrick said he had seen headlines describing Lindsay as a “Killer Mom,” “Baby Murderer” and “Monster”, but rejected those descriptions.

“None of ’em were accurate,” he said, adding that he believed “it was her mental illness that caused that.”

He said forgiveness was also necessary for his own ability to live with what happened.

“I think when it comes to forgiveness, I also felt that if I didn’t get there, I would be eaten up inside forever,” Patrick said.

CBS News published the transcript of the interview on Sunday, Sept. 20, following the broadcast of the 60 Minutes programme. The interview came after Lindsay’s trial ended with a hung jury and a judge declared a mistrial.

The couple’s three children — Cora, Dawson and Callan — died after Lindsay attacked them at their Massachusetts home on Jan. 24, 2023.

Patrick told 60 Minutes that when he returned home that day, he found Lindsay in the backyard after she had jumped from an upstairs window. He then discovered the children in the basement.

Cora and Dawson died at the scene, while Callan, who was eight months old, was taken to Boston Children’s Hospital.

Patrick said Callan survived for four days.

“I got to hold him. I got to lay down next to him. And he died in my arms,” he said.

During those four days, Patrick said he wrote tributes to each of his children while holding Callan’s hand.

“I’m so grateful for those four days that I had with him. And I’m so grateful he hung on,” he said.

ABC News, in a report published on Monday, Sept. 21, said Patrick had asked Lindsay whether she remembered killing the children.

According to Patrick, she told him “it was like a dream” and that she remembered it in much the same way a person might remember a dream after waking.

Patrick also spoke about his own mental state following the deaths.

“There was a time where I didn’t think I would live to see my 35th birthday,” he told 60 Minutes. “And I was completely fine with it.”

He said he later sought help from survivors and experts in postpartum mental health to understand what had happened.

Patrick also addressed the online conspiracy theories that emerged during Lindsay’s trial, including claims about his involvement in the deaths.

“It’s deeply harmful to the legacy of my children,” he said. “It is a huge distraction from what really matters here, which is perinatal mental health.”

ABC News reported Monday that Patrick described the online speculation as harmful and said it had affected him personally.

Sky News, also reporting on Monday, Sept. 21, said Lindsay’s trial ended in a mistrial on Sept. 4 after jurors failed to reach a unanimous decision on whether she was criminally responsible for the killings.

The outlet reported that 11 of the 12 jurors were prepared to find Lindsay not criminally responsible, while one juror disagreed, resulting in the deadlock.

Lindsay’s defence had argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she killed the children and therefore should not be held criminally responsible. The prosecution argued otherwise.

The court is expected to consider whether Lindsay will face a retrial.

For Patrick, however, the interview centred on the children and the decision he made after their deaths.

Asked again whether Lindsay had sought his forgiveness, he answered simply: “No. But I gave it to her.” (Punch)