Lindsay Clancy sobbed hard on Wednesday. The judge had to stop her murder trial. A doctor was talking about the injuries that killed her three young children. Clancy cried out "I can't do it." Staff wheeled her out of the courtroom.

It was day 12 of testimony. The trial is at Plymouth Superior Court in Massachusetts. Clancy is 36 years old. She is on trial for murder. Her three young children died in January 2023. They died at the family's home in Duxbury, Massachusetts.

This case has drawn national attention. Clancy used to work as a nurse. She helped deliver babies. Her lawyers say she was not in her right mind that night. They say she had postpartum psychosis. This is a serious mental illness. It can hit new moms after they give birth. Prosecutors say Clancy knew what she was doing. Clancy has pleaded not guilty.

A mental health counselor spoke first. Her name is Latiesha Dukes. Dukes saw Clancy four times in late 2022. That was just weeks before the deaths. Dukes said Clancy had trouble sleeping. She said Clancy felt very anxious. She said Clancy had thoughts of not wanting to live. Dukes gave Clancy a diagnosis of postpartum anxiety. She told Clancy to get more help. She wanted Clancy to go to a hospital day program.

Dukes said Clancy seemed better at their last visit. Clancy could smile and laugh, Dukes said. Dukes told the jury she never saw signs of psychosis. She never saw signs of delusions either.

Defense lawyer Kevin Reddington asked Dukes tough questions. He said a hospital called Women and Infants turned Clancy away. He said staff there claimed Clancy had too much medicine in her system. That claim does not match what prosecutors say happened.

State Police Sgt. Dan Lawlor spoke next. He went to the scene the night the children died. Later, he watched over Clancy at a different hospital. Clancy had jumped from a second-floor window that night. Lawlor said he saw a psychiatrist go into her hospital room. He did not hear what they said.

The questions got heated. Reddington asked about a theory. The theory said the psychiatrist planted an idea in Clancy's head. The idea was that voices told her to hurt her kids. Lawlor said that theory had "no investigator basis."

Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham showed the jury more proof. She showed pill bottles from Clancy's prescriptions. She showed a pair of jeans Clancy wore that night.

Two doctors also took the stand. Dr. Renee Stonebridge and Dr. Barbara Olson are medical examiners. They walked the jury through the autopsy results. They talked about injuries linked to strangling. They talked about a lack of oxygen to the brain. It was hard testimony to hear.

That is when Clancy broke down. She cried loudly. She said she could not go on. The judge called a break. Clancy's caretakers and her lawyer wheeled her out while she cried.

Postpartum psychosis is rare. But doctors say it is real. It can make a new mom lose touch with reality. This can happen days or weeks after birth. It is not the same as normal "baby blues." Clancy's defense says this illness explains what happened. They say she should not be found guilty because of it. Prosecutors do not agree.

Judge William Sullivan spoke to the jury after the outburst. He told them to focus only on the evidence. "Your verdict must be based solely on the evidence," Sullivan said. He said it cannot be based on sympathy, anger, or passion.

The trial keeps going. Jurors have heard from police. They have heard from a counselor. They have heard from medical examiners. More witnesses will testify in the coming days. Some may be experts on Clancy's mental state.

This case matters far past Massachusetts. Courts across the country are watching how it plays out. It could shape how judges treat postpartum mental illness in future cases. Parents everywhere are watching too. Many worry about getting help before a crisis hits.

El Tejano will keep following this case.