Hundreds of women dressed in pink gathered outside a Massachusetts courthouse this week in a show of support for Lindsay Clancy, the former labor and delivery nurse accused of killing her three children. Wearing shirts bearing slogans including "Believe," "She Needed Help" and "Peace for Lindsay," supporters lined the streets outside Plymouth Superior Court in Massachusetts as Clancy's murder trial entered its final stages. For many, the demonstration was not simply about one defendant but a broader belief that women's mental health concerns are too often dismissed by the medical system.
The gathering was organized by Renee Kimball, 40, of Maine, who said she was moved to act after watching Clancy react emotionally in court during testimony about her children's autopsy reports. "Watching her in that moment was devastating," Kimball told Newsweek. "It was one o'clock in the morning when I couldn't stop thinking about how alone she must feel and I created the event.
I put it out there so that we could gather at the courthouse and show her that she is far from alone." The show of support comes as jurors weigh sharply different accounts of what happened. While Clancy's attorneys argue that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible, prosecutors contend that she planned the killings and bears full responsibility for her actions. The gathering reflects a movement that has been building for months across TikTok, Facebook and other social media platforms, where thousands of users have followed the watched trial and openly identified with Clancy's struggles before the deaths of her children.
Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children—Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, in January 2023. Her attorneys do not dispute that she killed the children but argue that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and severe mental illness and therefore should not be held criminally responsible. A recurring theme among Clancy's supporters is the belief that she repeatedly sought help but was failed by the healthcare system.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington has argued during the trial that Clancy sought treatment from multiple providers, called a suicide hotline, visited an emergency room and checked herself into a psychiatric hospital before the killings. Kimball said the case has resonated because many women recognize elements of their own experiences in Clancy's struggles with mental health. "Mental health does not discriminate," Kimball said.
"It affects women, and men, across the world regardless of race, religion, skin color or political views." She said many of those supporting Clancy understand what it feels like to experience anxiety, depression, postpartum mental health challenges, PTSD or the effects of long-standing trauma. "People want systemic change in the systems of mental health care," Kimball said. "Most sit with that silently.
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