The final act in the case that shook the US: The jury will decide.

The case in which 36‑year‑old Lindsay Clancy is being tried in the United States has entered the decision phase. A jury will decide whether Clancy, accused of strangling and killing her three children in January 2023, is criminally responsible.

During five weeks of hearings, the defense and prosecutors presented two completely different accounts of how the incident occurred. Clancy’s lawyers argued that their client was under the influence of postpartum psychosis and was not in a position to assess the legal meaning of her actions. Prosecutors, however, maintained that despite the mental health issues Clancy faced, she deliberately planned the killing of her children.

The defense highlighted the suicide attempt.

In his closing remarks, Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington brought up his client’s suicide attempt following the murders once again.

Reddington recalled that after cutting Clancy’s wrists and throat, she jumped from the second floor of her house, leaving her lower body paralyzed. The lawyer, who said prosecutors had downplayed the seriousness of the suicide attempt, stated that Clancy had been in a state of 'deep despair' before the incident.

The defense also alleged that Clancy had taken a large number of medications and that her mental state had deteriorated severely. Reddington said his client had sought help for postpartum depression, had contacted a suicide helpline, had consulted various health professionals, and had voluntarily admitted herself to a psychiatric hospital.

Reddington, who argued that Clancy did not receive the support he needed, asked, "What else did he have to do?"

Prosecutor's office: He had access to health services.

Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague said the case had nothing to do with the women's mental health system. Sprague, labeling the defense's portrayal in that vein as a "distraction" effort, acknowledged that Clancy had mental health issues but maintained that he had access to the necessary health services.

Sprague, who said "She was not a woman who had suffered from a lack of care or resources," noted that Clancy had numerous treatment options.

The prosecutor also alleged that Clancy concealed his thoughts of harming his children from mental health professionals. According to the prosecutor, Clancy did not disclose those thoughts because he feared being forced to separate from his children. Sprague argued that this behavior showed the defendant was aware that those thoughts were wrong.

The claim that he calculated the travel time.

One of the prosecutor's most striking allegations was that Clancy acted in a way that would create time for himself to carry out the murders.

According to the allegation, Clancy sent his then-wife Patrick Clancy out to get food and checked the route on a map to calculate how long the trip would take. It was also alleged that Clancy, who wanted his wife to pick up medication from a nearby pharmacy, was trying to delay her return home.

Prosecutor Sprague alleged that Clancy wanted to know how long his wife would be away from home, because he claimed he had limited time to kill his children and then himself.

Postpartum psychosis at the center of the debate.

At the heart of the defense's thesis is postpartum psychosis, which is rarely seen after childbirth but can lead to severe mental symptoms. It is estimated that this condition affects about two out of every thousand mothers.

Clancy's lawyers argue that his client was under the influence of a severe psychiatric condition at the time the children were killed, and therefore could not bear criminal responsibility. The prosecution, however, maintains that depression and other mental health issues do not mean that Clancy was unaware of his actions.

Clancy case has also reignited debates about the adequacy of postpartum mental health services in the United States. The jury's decision will not only determine the defendant's legal fate but also answer the fundamental question that has been debated in the public sphere for weeks: Did Lindsay Clancy kill her children under the influence of a severe psychosis, or did she carry out the murders consciously and in a planned manner?