A midtrial fight over a TikTok video has opened a new line of scrutiny in the case against Lindsay Clancy. Her defense wants a former McLean Hospital worker to testify about the treatment Clancy received there.
Clancy turned 36 on Tuesday and is charged with murdering her three young children. According to Court TV, she has admitted to killing the children with exercise bands before cutting her own wrists and neck and jumping from a second-story window at her family home.
Her defense argues that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible when the killings occurred. Now her attorney is seeking testimony that could challenge how prosecutors have described the care she received at McLean.
Prosecutors are not having it
Attorney Kevin Reddington filed a midtrial motion to add Emily Thorndike to the witness list. He discovered the licensed social worker through a TikTok post after testimony from Dr. Alia Goodheart. This comes after Lindsay’s ex-husband’s testimony about the family’s final months.
Goodheart treated Clancy at McLean after she checked herself into the hospital for postpartum depression and anxiety. She described a multidisciplinary approach at the facility. Reddington argued that prosecutors made McLean sound like a place where numerous professionals were constantly available to treat Clancy.
Thorndike previously worked at McLean and responded with a TikTok video. She claimed there was no one-on-one therapy on the unit where Clancy stayed. She also said about 23 patients were typically divided among four to five doctors. On weekends and holidays, she said one doctor could be responsible for all 23 patients.
Thorndike further claimed that what prosecutors described as one-on-one therapy involved check-ins from unlicensed mental health specialists. She questioned why Clancy would have remained at the facility if she believed she was not receiving meaningful help. “There is absolutely no one-on-one therapy offered on that unit.”
Thorndike also argued that McLean should be held accountable for the care provided to Clancy. Her comments drew strong opposition from prosecutors.
Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham argued that Thorndike had watched testimony during the trial. She also pointed to statements in which Thorndike called the prosecution an “abomination” and criticized the care Clancy received.
Judge William Sullivan said he would consider the defense request. He suggested finding another person who worked at McLean during Clancy’s stay and had not watched the trial. Sullivan also made clear that he would not allow the witness to simply give an opinion about whether McLean was good or bad. “This is not TripAdvisor.”
McLean Hospital is also named as a defendant in Clancy’s civil lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that malpractice by her psychiatrists contributed to her psychosis and failed to prevent her children’s deaths.
The court has yet to decide whether Thorndike or another former McLean worker will testify for the defense.
Published: Aug 13, 2026 05:30 am