Jury Deliberates in Lindsay Clancy Case as Another Mother Found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity

<p>While jurors consider the case of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy, a New York City judge has found another mother, Dimone Fleming, not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect for killing her children. Fleming, now 26, had repeatedly stabbed her sons — Octavius Canada, 11 months, and Daishawn Fleming, 3 — before submerging them in a bathtub, according to a report by The New York Times.</p><p>Police discovered Fleming on November 26, 2022, at a family shelter, where she was found naked from the waist up and pretending to read a children’s book that was upside down. Fleming's case, similar to the high-profile Clancy case, has highlighted maternal health issues, particularly postpartum depression and psychosis, though it has not received the same level of media attention.</p><p>According to court documents, Fleming had been receiving treatment at the Floating Hospital in Queens prior to the murders. After being diagnosed with major depressive disorder, she was prescribed medication to manage her symptoms. However, instead of taking the medication, she reportedly used marijuana daily, leading to a significant worsening of her condition.</p><p>Dr. Eric Goldsmith, who examined Fleming for the prosecution, stated that she was “grossly psychotic and out of touch with reality” on the night she killed her children. He noted that she had been hallucinating, believing that she was inhabited by another spirit and that the world was ending. Defense psychiatrists indicated that Fleming believed her actions were necessary to “cleanse” her children.</p><p>Lindsay Clancy, in her case, claims to have heard a male voice instructing her to kill her children and then herself. She had been in and out of various doctors' offices for months and had been prescribed multiple psychiatric medications, though reports suggest she had not been consistently taking them.</p><p>In Clancy's case, the defense has also cited postpartum depression and psychosis, along with a lengthy list of medications, arguing that she should not be held criminally responsible for strangling her three young children. The prosecution contends that Clancy's actions demonstrate deliberate planning and a clear understanding of right and wrong.</p><p>The jury in Clancy's case deliberated for several hours on Thursday and nearly a full day on Friday. They are expected to resume deliberations on Monday.</p>