Psychiatrist Dr. Avram Mack, who is testifying as a rebuttal witness for the prosecution, returned to the stand in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial on Monday and continued to face cross-examination from the Duxbury woman’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington.
After a month of testimony featuring complex legal arguments at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice, jurors are expected to start deliberating this week.
With closing arguments anticipated as early as Tuesday, the end is in sight for what has become a daily courtroom spectacle and international media sensation. Thousands of people have watched an online livestream of the trial and posted their opinions on social media, including conspiracy theories about the case.
Asserting an insanity defense, Clancy has argued she was in the throes of postpartum psychosis when she strangled her three children to death in the basement of their Duxbury home in January 2023.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, say her actions were calculated and methodical. The question for the jury is whether she should be held criminally responsible.
Mack said Friday that Clancy should be held criminally responsible because, he concluded, she knew her actions were wrong.
Massachusetts law presents a two-pronged standard to consider the question. In order to achieve acquittal, the defense must convince the jury that Clancy was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions to a moral certainty, or was unable to conform them to the requirements of the law.
Clancy was suffering from “major depressive disorder,” not psychosis, Mack testified. He said she displayed “normal thinking, the ability to think ahead and navigate the world.” For example, he said, Clancy followed the rules of the road when she drove her daughter to the doctor just hours before the killings.
After Mack steps down from the stand, the prosecution will call more rebuttal witnesses, likely other experts in psychiatry who have reviewed the evidence and formed opinions about Clancy’s mental state at the time of the killings.
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Psychiatrist testifying as expert witness for prosecution faces sharp questioning from Clancy lawyer — 9:29 a.m.
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
Dr. Avram Mack, a psychiatrist, said he did not believe his testimony was stricken in a prior Florida lawsuit related to the federal TANF program, or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families.
He told Reddington he evaluated Clancy earlier this year for prosecutors.
Mack said he evaluated Clancy at Tewksbury Hospital in April on two separate dates, while a colleague also conducted psychological testing.
Mack said he stayed in Wellesley at a “private home” while he conducted the evaluation, and he didn’t know where his colleague stayed.
Clancy lawyer seeks to cast doubt on psychiatrist’s expertise — 9:24 a.m.
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
Dr. Avram Mack, a psychiatrist, said he has crafted “opinions” on similar cases but has only testified once or twice prior regarding criminal responsibility.
Defense lawyer Kevin Reddington asked Mack about prior cases where, he said, judges had questioned his qualifications.
Mack repeatedly said he didn’t recall the cases or didn’t agree with Reddington’s “characterization” of the rulings.
Defense attorney continues to challenge the credentials of prosecution’s first rebuttal witness — 9:21 a.m.
By Lea Skene, Globe Staff
“How many times have you testified in courts on the issue of criminal responsibility?” defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked as testimony resumed Monday morning with the ongoing cross-examination of Dr. Avram Mack, a psychiatrist who currently practices and teaches in Philadelphia.
“I would estimate one or two,” Mack replied, saying the Lindsay Clancy case likely marks his third time doing so.
Mack testified Friday that Clancy should be held criminally responsible, saying he had concluded that she knew her actions were wrong.
Massachusetts law presents a two-pronged standard to consider the question. The defense must convince the jury that Clancy was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions to a moral certainty, or was unable to conform them to the requirements of the law.
As he began his cross-examination of Mack on Friday afternoon, Reddington suggested the doctor has little experience treating postpartum patients. Mack countered that he sees himself as “a generalist who happens to have a couple areas of focus,” including adolescent mental health and addiction.
Psychiatrist testifying for prosecution returns to the stand — 9:18 a.m.
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
Dr. Avram Mack returned to the stand to continue testifying as a rebuttal witness for prosecutors.
Mack, a psychiatrist, appeared by Zoom on Monday, telling defense attorney Kevin Reddington that he has previously testified “one or two” times about a defendant’s criminal responsibility or lack thereof.
Outside, people wear pink in support of Clancy, while a smaller group wears white — 9:15 a.m.
By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff
Outside the courthouse there were small groups of protesters dressed in pink supporting Clancy, and a smaller group dressed in white calling for justice for Clancy’s three slain children, Cora, 5; Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months.
Jury enters courtroom — 9:14 a.m.
By Travis Andersen, Globe Staff
Jurors entered the courtroom around 9:15 a.m. Judge William Sullivan ran through his normal list of questions to ensure they avoided outside coverage of the case over the weekend.
Largest crowd yet gathers at courthouse for Clancy trial — 9:13 a.m.
By Shelley Murphy, Globe Staff
The crowds at Plymouth Superior Court for Lindsay Clancy’s trial have been growing every day and Monday’s was the largest yet, with both media members and the public trying to get a seat inside the courtroom.
Demonstrators rally for slain Clancy children — 9:10 a.m.
By Chloe Craft, Globe Correspondent
Outside the courthouse on Monday, several groups of demonstrators gathered to represent different causes related to the trial.
Several of the pink-clad Clancy supporters who lined the sidewalk last week returned this morning. Kathleen Hood, a psychiatric nurse practitioner from Plymouth, said she felt a special connection to the trial, saying she had suffered from postpartum anxiety.
“I just want people to know that she did all the right things. She was asking all the right questions, whether she took the meds or not,” she said. “And I want her to see, even if it’s just one person, that we’re fighting for change.”
Meanwhile, closer to the courthouse, about a dozen people dressed in white held signs with slogans such as “Remember the real victims” and “Justice for Cora, Dawson, and Callan.” Participants said the rally was organized on social media to bring attention to the three slain children rather than their mother’s plight.
“We’re wearing white to represent the innocence of those three kids. Those kids were innocent and pure, and their lives were taken from them,” said Michelle Sperazzo, 58. “I’m a mom, and that’s upsetting. When I heard there was a rally on Monday, I knew I had to go.”
What to expect in the final days of testimony — 8:39 a.m.
By Lea Skene, Globe Staff
Reddington’s cross-examination of Mack is expected to continue Monday morning when court resumes.
Then the prosecution will call more rebuttal witnesses, likely other experts in psychiatry who have reviewed the evidence and formed opinions about Clancy’s mental state at the time of the killings.
Psychiatrist testifying as rebuttal witness for prosecution set to return to stand — 8:24 a.m.
By Lea Skene, Globe Staff
Dr. Avram Mack’s testimony began Friday afternoon, after the defense rested its case.
Mack said Friday that Clancy should be held criminally responsible because, he concluded, she knew her actions were wrong. Massachusetts law presents a two-pronged standard to consider the question. In order to achieve acquittal, the defense must convince the jury that Clancy was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions to a moral certainty, or was unable to conform them to the requirements of the law.
Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com. Shelley Murphy can be reached at shelley.murphy@globe.com. Follow her @shelleymurph. Jenna Reyes can be reached at jenna.reyes@globe.com. Follow her @jennaelaney and Instagram @jennaelaney.
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