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Andrea Yates to Susan Smith: Lindsay Clancy trial puts focus on mothers who killed their children
Lindsay Clancy's trial has sparked comparisons with other high-profile maternal filicide cases including those of Andrea Yates, Susan Smith, and Christy Sheats.
The ongoing murder trial of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy has revived public interest in several of America's most well-known maternal filicide cases, including those of Andrea Yates, Susan Smith and Christy Sheats.
The renewed focus comes as jurors hear testimony about Lindsay's mental health before the deaths of her three children. Lindsay, 36, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity in the January 2023 deaths of her children, Cora, Dawson, and Callan.
Prosecutors allege she deliberately strangled the children with exercise bands after sending her husband on an errand. Her attorneys argue that she suffered from postpartum psychosis, bipolar disorder and severe mental illness before the tragedy unfolded.
Deep Dive
The case has sparked comparisons with other prosecutions of a similar nature where courts came to various decisions regarding criminal liability. Many even drew parallels with Latarsha Sanders, who was convicted of killing her two children, but got a new trial.
Here are some other cases where mothers took the lives of their kids.
Andrea Yates (2001)
Perhaps the most frequently referenced case is that of Andrea Yates, the Texas mother who drowned her five children in a bathtub in 2001.
Yates had a long history of severe mental illness and was initially convicted before receiving a new trial. Yates experienced postpartum depression, according to the National Library of Medicine, much like in Lindsay Clancy's case. Following an episode of Law & Order that featured a postpartum depressed lady drowning her children in the bathtub, she committed the murders.
In 2006, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a state psychiatric hospital. Prosecutors maintained she knew her actions were wrong because she called the police after the killings. Her defense argued she suffered from postpartum psychosis and religious delusions.
Diane Downs (1983)
The story of Diane Downs, who shot and killed one of her three children, captivated the country long before the notorious instances of Lindsay Clancy and Andrea Yates.
Downs, a 27-year-old divorced postal service employee, reported to authorities in 1983 that on a remote road close to Springfield, Oregon, a "bushy-haired stranger" pulled over her car and shot her three children. Christie, 8, and Danny, 3, were barely alive, while her 7-year-old daughter Cheryl was dead when she arrived at the hospital.
However, authorities found loopholes in her story and investigated to find her secret diaries that revealed she was obsessed with a married man who did not want her children.
Nine months after the shootings, in February 1984, she was taken into custody and charged with two charges of attempted murder and one crime of murder. She received a life sentence plus fifty years in jail.
Susan Smith (1994)
The legal outcome differed sharply in the case of Susan Smith.
Susan Smith, a South Carolina housewife, was found guilty in 1994 of pushing her car into a lake while her toddlers were inside.
According to media accounts, Smith, who was 23 at the time, admitted to the crime nine days after first saying that 3-year-old Michael and 14-month-old Alexander had been abducted by a carjacker.
It came to light that Smith was living apart from her husband and was romantically involved with Tom Findlay, a wealthy guy who wanted to break up with her since she had kids.
Smith's lawyer argued that the deaths were caused by untreated mental health issues, and she is "truly remorseful."
In July 1995, Smith was given a life sentence with the potential for release after 30 years. In November 2024, she qualified for parole, but it was turned down.
Dena Schlosser (2004)
Dena Schlosser, a Texas woman, was charged after fatally attacking her 10-month-old daughter in 2004.
The then 35-year-old Texan mother was detained after informing a 911 operator that she had severed the limbs of her 10-month-old child, as reported by national media. Schlosser was covered in blood, clutching a knife, and listening to hymns when police discovered the dead kid in her cot.
Medical experts testified she experienced hallucinations and severe psychiatric illness. She was also found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2006.
Christy Sheats (2016)
Another widely discussed case is that of Christy Sheats. She fatally shot her two daughters, 17-year-old Madison and 22-year-old Taylor, in Texas in 2016.
Since 2012, the police had responded to 911 calls from the residence 12 times, according to officials. These responses included medical calls, a complaint of a verbal altercation between the couple, a response from a crisis intervention team from the sheriff's office, and a 911 call in which Christy Sheats requested to meet with a deputy. Out of 12, five were false alarms.
According to investigators, her husband later told authorities he believed she deliberately spared his life so he would suffer after losing their daughters. Police said Sheats had a documented history of depression, anxiety, suicide attempts, and previous psychiatric treatment.
Sheats was killed by the police on the scene.
Hailey Dempsey (2026)
More recently, authorities in Florida concluded a months-long investigation into the deaths of Hailey Dempsey and her daughters.
According to the investigators, the Florida mother fatally shot her mother and two of her daughters in May 2026. Dempsey, 27, first shot her mom early in the morning and fled on foot with her three daughters before she shot at two of her daughters. The third daughter remains missing.
Investigators have revealed that police had responded to the Dempseys’ home three times in the two days before the shootings.
Investigators said there were indications of mental illness but have not suggested a definitive diagnosis.
Kailey Erhart (2026)
Another recent case involves Kailey Erhart, a North Dakota mother charged with murdering two of her three young children and attempting to kill a third.
Erhart, 22, was arrested on August 6 and faces multiple charges, including murder, attempted murder, aggravated assault, terrorizing with a dangerous weapon and domestic violence, according to People.
The authorities allegedly found Erhart covered in blood and holding a kitchen knife to her throat. Police found all three of her children inside the house, slit across their necks.
According to the complaint, Erhart's 1-year-old survived surgery, but her 3-year-old and 5-month-old were declared dead at nearby hospitals.
