Police work at the scene Wednesday where two children were found dead and an infant injured in Duxbury, Mass. David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via AP
BOSTON — The 32-year-old mother of three at the center of the tragedy that shocked the Duxbury community late Tuesday night will be charged with the murder of two of her children.
Lindsay Clancy, the mother, is currently being hospitalized and will be arraigned on charges of homicide after she is released, Plymouth DA Timothy Cruz said Wednesday afternoon from the Police Department headquarters in Duxbury, a seaside town 35 miles outside Boston.
“As a result of information gathered during the course of the investigation, we developed probable cause and today are seeking and obtaining an arrest warrant out of Plymouth District Court charging 32-year-old Lindsay Clancy, the mother of these children, with their homicides,” Cruz said.
He added that the investigation into the tragic event Tuesday night remains “active and ongoing” and because of that, information released at this time is somewhat limited.
The facts of the case given Wednesday are mostly the same as those provided late Tuesday night. Cruz did provide names, however, and that the preliminary investigation indicates that the children appear to have been “strangled,” though the medical examiner will make the final determination.
Clancy’s husband arrived home and called 911 at around 6:11 p.m. to report that Lindsay Clancy had attempted suicide. When local police and firefighters arrived at the scene, they found the woman unconscious after apparently jumping from a window in the home.
Elsewhere, responders found 5-year-old Cora Clancy and 3-year-old Dawson Clancy “unconscious, with obvious signs of trauma,” Cruz said. The little girl and little boy were transported to a hospital and pronounced dead.
A 7-month-old infant boy was also unconscious and flown to a Boston hospital, where he made it through the night, the DA’s office confirmed Wednesday morning.
“Our community is reeling from the tragic events of last night,” said the clearly emotional Duxbury town manager Rene Read. “We have a lengthy road ahead of us and we’re grateful we’re not alone in this.”
Read spoke alongside Cruz, who has been a DA for 22 years, and Duxbury Police Chief Michael Carbone, who has worked in law enforcement even longer, and said that “to be up here is tough, so I apologize.”
“Maybe I’m the outward expression of what they’re feeling,” he said, holding back tears. He added that police had told him “it’s the worst they’ve ever seen.”
Clancy, is a nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, a spokesman confirmed.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of this unthinkable tragedy,” the hospital released as a statement provided by Michael Morrison, the senior director of external communications. “We extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by these devastating events.”
Clancy’s Facebook page lists her occupation as a labor and delivery registered nurse at the hospital, and that she had formerly been a nursing assistant at South Shore Hospital.
That social media page is also dominated by pictures of her three children, including the header image featuring the smiling faces of Cora and Dawson and the latest profile picture, from November, of the infant son waving at the camera and ready for the winter ahead with a hat. Other photos show the mother pregnant and holding her kids when they were babies and toddlers.
The incident that occurred Tuesday evening was so shocking and horrific that the first responding officers had been taken off duty to process the event, Police Chief Carbone and Fire Chief Rob Reardon said. Read added that the town of Duxbury is and will help first responders in any way it can.
“These incidents can be difficult for anyone, even the most well-trained and prepared responders, and we urge anyone who is struggling to reach out to any of the available resources,” the State Police Association of Massachusetts, the union representing troopers, wrote on their Instagram page a little before 1 p.m. Wednesday.
“Critical incidents can be a major stressor and it’s okay to ask for help,” they added.
Reardon said he was speaking for the Fire Department when he said “our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this tragic event.”
“Tragedies like these are always difficult to comprehend and process. We may be left struggling with many emotions,” he said. “Please know that all public safety personnel have been offered and continue to be offered needed support.”
He added, “To all those who responded, we care about you.”
Cruz was not willing to speculate to the motivation that could lead a mother to kill her children, but said that investigators would be looking into every possibility.
“In this line of work, you see terrible things,” Cruz said of the “horrific situation.”
“Being a police officer, being a first responder, has never been more challenging,” he said. “We will go forward and do our job and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”
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