Patrick Clancy has said he believes he did “the best I could” to support his former wife Lindsay through her mental health struggles before she killed their three children.
The 38-year-old father, speaking in an interview with 60 Minutes, said he lives with the consequences of the tragedy “every day”. The full interview is due to air on Sunday evening.
Asked by CBS correspondent Ross Douthat whether he believed he could have prevented the deaths by acting differently, Mr Clancy replied: “I think I did the best I could with what I had at the time. I live with the outcome. I live with it every day.”
Lindsay Clancy admitted fatally strangling Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan at the family’s Massachusetts home in January 2023.
She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Her murder trial ended in a mistrial earlier this month after the jury reached an 11-1 deadlock.
One juror reportedly refused to acquit her by reason of insanity, while the other members of the jury were unable to agree on whether she was guilty of murder or manslaughter. Prosecutors have not said whether they will seek a retrial or offer a plea deal.
Mr Clancy remained largely out of the public spotlight during the proceedings. He has since moved to New York City and married fertility doctor Rachel Danis, 37, while Lindsay Clancy remains in a psychiatric facility.
Ms Danis joined him for the interview and described him as “the most selfless father and supportive partner”. She said she met him after the children’s deaths, recalling that she “was just a girl that met a guy running in Central Park on a really cold Saturday”.
The couple married in April in an intimate ceremony at the Ladies Pavilion overlooking The Lake in Central Park, followed by a celebration with family and friends at a nearby restaurant.
Mr Clancy also told 60 Minutes that he speaks to his dead children in an attempt to find solace. When asked what he says to them, he replied: “‘Help me’… All the time.”
Mr Douthat said the programme would offer “a portrait of Patrick’s life in the aftermath of this incredible tragedy”, adding that Mr Clancy had focused on keeping the memory of his children at the centre of the story.
The interview follows a wave of online threats and accusations directed at Mr Clancy during the trial. Some online commentators accused him of killing his own children, despite Lindsay Clancy admitting to the crime.
In a statement issued through his lawyer after the mistrial, Mr Clancy said he and his family had faced a “relentless, escalating and destructive defamation campaign”. The statement accused influencers and conspiracy theorists of spreading false claims for publicity and potential profit.
It said the “insatiable media coverage” had created a “fever pitch” of allegations and scrutiny, resulting in threats to Mr Clancy’s reputation, livelihood and life.
“Enough is enough – this spread of blatant and baseless falsehoods must stop,” the statement said, adding that legal action would be pursued and law enforcement had been notified.
Mr Clancy said his priority remained preserving the memory of Cora, Dawson and Callan and supporting other women facing perinatal mental health challenges.
