Vigil held for two children strangled to death by their midwife mother before ... trends now

A vigil was held Thursday night for two Massachusetts children, ages three and five, who were strangled to death by their mother before she attempted to kill her eight-month-old baby and jumped out of the top window of her Massachusetts home.

Midwife Lindsay Clancy, 32, and her eight-month-old baby both survived the apparent homicide-suicide attempt - but Cora, five, and Dawson, three, were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Witnesses said the baby had been given CPR at the scene.

Holy Family Church in Daxbury stood vigil for the family and show appreciation for the first responders who tended to the shocking aftermath of the incident. 

The Very Rev. Fr. Robert Deehan, who presided over the event, said 'before this tragic event, they were a happy and loving family. Sadly, the struggle Lindsay had in trying to deal with mental illness became overwhelming which led to such devastating results.' 

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Sources told WBZ-TV Wednesday that investigators are looking at the possibility that Lindsay Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis. 

The vigil comes as Matthew Glaser - who described himself as an extended family member - started a GoFundMe page to try and raise money to help husband and father Patrick Clancy, 34, who returned home at around 6pm on Tuesday to find his wife had tried to kill herself and immediately called the police, pay for medical bills, funeral services and legal help.

Within 14 hours, the page had shot past its original goal of $250,000 and has now raised over $324,000, including a donation from Boston Bruins star defenseman Charlie McAvoy, according to the Boston Herald.  

'This assistance is especially needed because Pat will be unable to work for the foreseeable future as he weathers this painful, life-altering tragedy,' Glaser wrote. 

'We all know Pat to be the most kind and genuine person. As someone who is always willing to support others, we sincerely thank you for offering yours.'

Christine Monaghan, who coached 5-year-old Cora Clancy's youth soccer team, remembered a little girl whom she described as 'happy, learning and having fun. 

'She didn't deserve this,' she told the Patriot Ledger.  

Lindsay, who is under police custody, will be arraigned once she is released from hospital on charges including two counts of homicide and three each for strangulation and assault and battery with a deadly weapon for the deaths of her two children. 

Lindsay Clancy's husband Patrick had 'popped out for 25 minutes' to collect a takeout order on Tuesday night - but he returned to find his wife unconscious. 

Friends of the family now claim that Patrick had started working from home to keep a watchful eye on his wife - who was also in an 'intensive' post-partum depression clinic five days a week. 

Local radio presenter John DePetro reported that friends of the depressed mother said: 'Her husband was working from home instead of going in to work to be able to try and support her daily while she went to a program 5 days a week for PPD. 

'And in the 25 minutes it took him to pick up take out, the unthinkable happened.' 

Investigators are now looking into the possibility that Lindsay, 32, was suffering from postpartum psychosis. The mother-of-three had also previously shared online that she was struggling with postpartum anxiety. 

While Lindsay appeared to be a proud mother on Facebook, she shared about struggling with postpartum anxiety after the birth of her latest child.  

Last July, she wrote that six weeks after the child's birth, she was feeling 'dialed in' and sought to focus on exercise, nutrition and her mindset, which she claimed 'made all the difference.' 

In 2020, she wrote online: 'So unbelievably thankful for this family and life,' along with doting images of her children, reports Boston Globe.