CANADA - MARCH 13: Hormonal changes and the trauma of caring for a newborn can lead to postpartum depression; experts say. (Photo by Patti Gower/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
A Massachusetts mom reportedly strangled her two young kids to death and attempted to kill her infant with the children’s tragic death coming amidst numerous social media posts regarding her struggles with postpartum depression.
Lindsay Clancy, 32, who jumped out of a window in a failed suicide attempt, had previously opened up about her battle with postpartum anxiety on Facebook, months before the shocking violence at her Duxbury home on Tuesday, according to the Boston Globe.
But in July, six weeks after the birth of her third child, the mom of three shared a post about how she felt “dialed in” again, and was focusing on exercise, nutrition, and her mindset — noting “it has made all the difference,” the outlet reported. As of Thursday, those posts were not publicly available on her Facebook page.
CBS Boston confirmed that authorities are investigating whether or not Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis.
Clancy, a labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, now stands accused to killing her daughter, Cora, 5, and son Dawson, 3, and attempting to kill her 8-month-old son.
As if Thursday, she remains hospitalized following her jump from a second-floor window at her home, which sits about 35 miles southeast of Boston. Authorities say the jump was an attempted suicide.
She faces two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation or suffocation, and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
Clancy’s husband, Patrick, had called 911 on Tuesday prompting EMS workers’ discovery of all three of their kids, who were “unconscious, with obvious signs of trauma,” officials said, per The Globe.
Cora and Dawson were both declared dead at a nearby hospital, while the infant was flown to Boston Children’s Hospital, where he remains hospitalized.
“I cannot begin to fathom the pain, the depths of pain” the family must be feeling, said Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz.
Meanwhile, Mass General Hospital, where Clancy works, released the following statement:
In a statement, Mass General said: “We are shocked and saddened to learn of this unthinkable tragedy,” the hospital said in a statement. “We extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by these devastating events.”
Clancy and Patrick were married in 2016 in Southington, Connecticut, according to The Globe.
Online, Clancy appeared to be a doting mother, portraying a happy family of which she was “so unbelievably thankful for.”
“I feel like the luckiest mama in the whole wide world,” she wrote. In a later post she said: “So unbelievably thankful for this family and life.”
An investigation into the murders remain ongoing.
If you or someone you know is struggling with postpartum depression, call 1-833-943-5746.
