A short video has turned one of America's most distressing court cases into an even louder online storm. Dr. Noa Sterling's message to Lindsay Clancy, telling the mother on trial over the deaths of her three children that she was 'proud' of her, has shocked many viewers.
The clip has drawn sharp criticism across social media. Many are asking where the sympathy for Cora, Dawson and Callan Clancy has gone.
The Video That Set Off the Reaction
In the video shared widely on social media, Sterling tells Clancy that she believes her and says she appeared to have been 'overfunctioning' throughout her postpartum period. Sterling, who identifies herself as an OB-GYN and mother of three, says she was struck by Clancy's efforts to get better while raising children.
She then says she does not know what else Clancy could have done and that Clancy had been pushed beyond what should be expected of one person. The message ends with Sterling saying Clancy had 'galvanised us women in a really powerful way'.
The Words That Stung
It was not simply an expression of sympathy that caught people's attention. It was the phrase 'I'm proud of you', followed by the suggestion that there may have been nothing more Clancy could have done.
For critics, those words sounded less like compassion for someone in psychiatric crisis and more like praise directed at a mother accused of killing her children. That is why the clip has spread so quickly, with viewers saying the message appeared to overlook the three young victims completely.
The Three Children at the Centre
Cora Clancy was five, Dawson was three and Callan was eight months old when they died at the family home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, on 24 January 2023. Prosecutors allege that Lindsay Clancy strangled all three children with exercise bands before attempting to take her own life.
The loss of the children remains the raw centre of public anger around the video. Many commenters said a discussion of mental illness should not push the victims into the background, particularly when the trial is still unfolding before a jury.
The Case Before the Jury
Clancy, a former labour and delivery nurse, faces three counts of first-degree murder.
She has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, meaning the case turns on her mental state at the time of the killings rather than on whether the children died.
Prosecutors argue that Clancy planned the killings and understood that her actions were wrong.
Her lawyers say she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, a severe psychiatric condition, and was not criminally responsible for what happened.
The Defence's Mental Health Case
The defence has presented evidence of Clancy's deteriorating mental health, her contact with doctors and her reported fears that she might harm herself or her children. Her lawyers also argue that a range of medications contributed to a profound psychological crisis.
Prosecutors have challenged that account with their own psychiatric evidence, saying her actions showed planning and control. The jury must decide whether the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Clancy was criminally responsible, a legal test far narrower than public sympathy.
The Message That Sparked Anger
Sterling's video has exposed the difficulty of speaking publicly about a tragedy involving severe mental illness and dead children. It is possible to recognise postpartum psychosis as a serious emergency while still keeping Cora, Dawson and Callan at the forefront.
ObGyn, who has three children, says she is "proud" of Lindsay Clancy, who is on trial for strangling her three children to death with exercise bands.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 25, 2026
"... I don't know what else you could have done. You were far beyond what should be expected of a single individual."
"I'm not… pic.twitter.com/iTjGHTkEzY
That balance is exactly what critics say the video missed. The outrage was driven by the feeling that calling Clancy 'proud' and 'galvanising' turned a devastating criminal case into a story of personal inspiration, before a jury has even reached its decision.
