The trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury mother accused of murdering her three children, is set to begin Monday after a judge ruled that some of the most disturbing evidence in the case will remain sealed from the public.
Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan ruled Friday that the audio recording of the 911 call made by Patrick Clancy after finding his children unresponsive, along with autopsy photographs of the victims, will be impounded for the court’s review only.
The decision came after Patrick Clancy, Lindsay Clancy’s former husband, asked the court to restrict public access to sensitive evidence involving their late children. He argued that the release of the emergency call and photographs would cause additional harm and should not be shared publicly.
Judge Sullivan granted the request, preventing the public and media from accessing or distributing the materials.
The ruling comes just days before opening statements in one of Massachusetts’ most closely watched criminal cases. Jury selection wrapped up Thursday, with Sullivan seating 18 jurors — 12 women and six men — for a trial expected to last about six weeks.
Clancy, 35, is accused of killing her three children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan — inside the family’s Duxbury home in January 2023. Prosecutors allege she strangled the children with exercise bands before attempting to take her own life by cutting her neck and wrists and jumping from a second-story window.
Her defense attorneys say Clancy was experiencing severe postpartum depression and that her mental health condition was improperly treated before the deaths.
Clancy, who is now paralyzed from the waist down, attended jury selection this week from the witness box as prosecutors and defense attorneys questioned potential jurors. She reviewed juror questionnaires during the process, while several prospective jurors asked to be excused. Some became emotional during questioning, with a tissue box placed nearby in the courtroom.
The judge also heard arguments over how many first responders prosecutors should be allowed to call as witnesses. Both the prosecution and defense are expected to call more than 200 witnesses combined during the trial.
Sullivan said he will decide which witnesses may testify as the proceedings move forward, requiring attorneys to approach the bench before each witness takes the stand.
Opening statements are scheduled for Monday at Plymouth Superior Court.
