I Don’t Really Think Anyone Understands How Consequential The Lindsay Clancy Case Is

                                                                                                 Image credit: nbcconnecticut.com

Until very recently, I never knew about the Lindsay Clancy case, but it is turning out to be one of the most consequential murder trials that there has been in decades and more so than most people seem to realize.
 
For those of you who don’t know about this Lindsay Clancy case, Lindsay Clancy strangled her three children to death and blamed her actions on postpartum psychosis and what I find very distressing and disappointing is how many people, and women in particular, are rushing to Clancy’s defense and demanding that she not be punished for her crimes but for the court and the jury to have mercy and to take in consideration her mental state when she was committing the murders.
 
Now, I don’t deny that postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis are real, and I don’t deny that women who have recently given birth don’t experience these things; that is not the issue.  The issue at hand is whether a mental affliction is enough to absolve a person of being held accountable for their actions.
 
Now, on the one side there are those screaming for clemency, insisting that since Clancy’s mental afflictions drover her to commit the murders and therefore cannot be held responsible for what she did, and then there are those who insist that Clancy’s mental state is no excuse for what she did because what she did requires a deliberate, conscious, premeditated effort; she did not just kill those three children without having thought of doing so ahead of time for quite some time.
 
If Clancy is convicted of the murders, then that is sending a message that there is no excuse for a deliberate act of murder.  If you are mentally competent enough to deliberate kill three children, then you are mentally competent enough to be held accountable for those actions.
 
But if she is acquitted by reason of insanity, then that is sending the message to others that they can use claimed mental instability as an excuse to commit horrific acts of violence and murder
and much more recently, another mother named Kailey Erhart in Mandan North Dakota was arrested and taken into custody for killing two of her three children and for nearly killing the third; [1] what excuses are going to be made for her?
 
If Clancy is acquitted of murder by reason of insanity, then anyone acting on defense of Erhart may very well attempt to get her acquitted of murder on a same or similar basis and she won’t be the only one because if Clancy gets away with murder by reason of postpartum depression or psychosis, then what is going to stop anyone from escaping accountability for what they say and do on the basis of any given mental affliction or anything else for that matter?
 
And just to make even more clear the potential consequences of an acquittal on the basis of insanity and what kind of a message that is sending to society, Royce Moser, a boy who was fresh out of high school and about to begin college murdered his girlfriend and said a demon made him do it. [2]
 
I doubt there will be nearly as much sympathy for him as there has been for Clancy and rightfully, there should not be any sympathy for him, but if Clancy or any other woman can get away with murder for citing mental instability as a cause for their actions, then what is to stop a man from saying, “the devil made me do it” when he rapes and kills one or more women, as an excuse for his crimes? What is there to hold him accountable if we are to apply the same standard to him that it seems too many women want applied to Clancy?
 
And what is the difference between a man like Royce Moser and a woman like Lindsay Clancy in that regards? They are both murderers who both excuse their actions on some other force or power that they claim made them commit the terrible crimes that they did.  Except one will have multitudes asking for her to be spared what they call a cruel and unjust punishment because they excuse her actions on a mental affliction while the other will receive little to no pity (and he shouldn’t either to be clear) and that is where the rubber meets the road; that is where we will see a double standard being applied and even a hypocrisy being played out.
 
This should not be the controversy that it has turned out to be but it is, and that anyone who willfully commits an act of murder should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law should not even be a controversy even among women, whether the perpetrator of the crime is a woman or not and yet as even one feminist woman points out in her column, what should not be a controversy is a controversy and is one that appears to be divided along gender lines when there ought to be unity in condemning the murders and demanding that Lindsay Clancy be held accountable for the murders without any excuses. 
 
Kaeley Triller Harms, despite being a professed feminist, at least to her credit, tries to take a balanced approach in her column with criticisms directed at both sides:

 
The national reaction has become strikingly sexed because many women see the case through the lens of childbirth, postpartum mental illness, sleep deprivation, and a maternal-health system they believe failed a woman who repeatedly sought help. Conversely, many men see those explanations as an attempt to excuse a mother for murdering three defenseless children. Excuses, excuses, excuses.
 
The loudest pro-Clancy voices tend to be mothers and maternal-mental-health advocates emphasizing psychosis and failed care, while some of the loudest opposition has come from conservative male commentators who emphasize agency, evil, and equal accountability.
 
As is often the case in these situations, the conversation has stopped being about Clancy at all but has come to represent a broader, longer war between the sexes. One side hears, “Women are making excuses for women,” while the other hears, “Men who have never experienced childbirth are using an extraordinarily rare psychiatric catastrophe as evidence that women as an entire sex class are irrational, unaccountable, or unfit for equal civic power.”
 
Yes, there are a ton of men on the internet claiming that the volume of women defending Clancy is further justification of their belief that women are too emotionally disturbed to be trusted with the vote. And the women insisting, “This could absolutely happen to any of us” while raising close to a million dollars for what is essentially Lindsay’s defense fund are certainly not helping! [3]
 
 
 
 She also does well in issuing the following admonishment:
 
 
 
I have no interest in helping drag us back to a place where female hormones get treated as an insurmountable force capable of overriding a woman’s moral agency altogether, as though we’re helpless passengers in our own bodies. [4]
 
 
 
She also seems to understand the ramifications for women if Clancy is not held accountable for the murders that she committed and her actions are simply excused on account of her psychosis:
 
 
 
That instinct only serves to infantilize us, and it hands ammunition to the very men who already suspect we can’t be trusted with full civic participation, let alone a voice at church. We can acknowledge diminished capacity without pretending agency no longer exists within it or that we’re all equally susceptible to violent madness. [5]
 
 
 
 
 
To any of my female readers and followers out there who may seem tempted to excuse Clancy’s crimes on her mental afflictions or feel that she should at least be granted a lenient sentence, I would implore you that you would consider the ramifications and consequence of her being acquitted before rushing to her defense any further.  The controversy surrounding Lindsay Clancy is not a Lindsay Clancy problem.  It is not a man problem.  And it is not a woman problem.  And it is not even a political problem.  But it is symptomatic of a broader societal, moral, and ultimately, a spiritual problem.
 
Triller Harms then concludes her post stating:
 
 
 
When Adam and Eve left Eden, part of the curse they carried with them was enmity between the sexes—the impulse to dominate, distrust, blame, and struggle against one another. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen that enmity more nakedly on display than I do right now.
 
But Christians aren’t supposed to make peace with the curse. We’re supposed to be people of redemption who work to transcend it and model a better way.
 
Redemption doesn’t look like women circling the wagons around men no matter what, or men seizing on the worst thing one woman has ever done as evidence that women can’t be trusted. It looks like men and women telling the truth about each other and themselves, extending mercy without abandoning justice, and refusing to turn one another into the enemy.
 
Victory over the curse isn't going to look like one sex finally subduing the other and winning the war. It's going to look like having enough humility to admit there's a good reason God said it wasn't good for man to be alone. Left to our own devices, both sexes run amok. Created order means working together to graciously temper each other's worst inclinations, not cancel each other for having them in the first place. [6]
 
 
 
When God created men and women, he created them to them to live in unity together.  He never intended that that they be divided against each other or that they should even compete against each other.  In fact, God created men and women to be each other’s most closest and intimate companions through marriage. (Gen. 2:18)
 
He did not create either gender to be inferior or superior to the other for it is written that he created both in His image (Gen. 1:26) and to be male and female.  He applies the same laws and standard to both genders (Num. 15:16) and both will be held equally accountable before Him for all that they have said and done; even the thoughts, motives, and attitudes are subject to judgment because they are both made equal in His eyes (Acts 10:34, Gal. 3:28, Col. 3:11) but they are also both equally fallen beings possessing an inherently corrupt condition that the Bible calls sin which was passed down from Adam and Eve to all of mankind when they had committed a fateful act of disobedience that would change the world from the perfectly good, harmonious, place that God had created it to be into the present condition that it is in now.
 
Before sin and death came into the world, God had created the world to be a place of only life, peace, harmony, and contentment and within the universe there existed a perfect and uninterrupted harmony between God, man, and nature until the day that Adam and Eve ate a fruit from a certain tree called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, having been warned of God that in the day that they ate thereof, they would surely die (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:3) and instead of heeding the warning of God, they listened to the voice of a lying spirit who led them to believe that greater things were being withheld from them and so deceived them into eating that forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:4-5) and when they had eaten that forbidden fruit, instead of receiving the greater things that they were promised, Adam and Eve were reduced to a status inferior to the one in which they were created and instead of being spared the sentence of death as that lying spirit had falsely assured them that they would be, the sentence of death was pronounced upon them just as God warned them (Gen. 3:19) and that lying spirit who was responsible for deceiving Adam and Eve into the transgression was a certain angelic being named Lucifer who had served at the throne of God as a covering cherub until the day that he had become so lifted up in pride that he thought that he could become like God and as a consequence for attempting to make himself equal with God, he and all who sided with him against God were cast from their places in Heaven (Is. 14:11-21, Ezek. 28:12-19) and it was in that day that Lucifer became known as Satan or the Devil and what he could not accomplish in Heaven, he sought to accomplish on the earth which he did by causing Adam and Eve to eat of that forbidden fruit which they were told by God to not eat which then caused sin to enter into them both and which brought death to them both but the consequences of that act of disobedience did not stop with Adam and Eve, but were extended to the rest of mankind who are descended from them for it is from Adam and Eve that the sin that entered into them was inherited by all of mankind (Rom. 5:12) sin being defined not by just an evil act or ill-spoken words but by the corrupted condition of our nature which not only influences our outward behavior and what we speak, but it also influences our thoughts, motives, and attitudes which then, if given into, produce what is said and the acts that are done which is why it is written that we are not defiled by what comes from without but what is from within (Mt. 15:11, 18-20) and which is why that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) which in turn subjugates us to death which is why it is written that the wages of sins is death (Rom. 6:23) but the consequences of Adam and Eve’s disobedience still does not stop with even mankind, but extends to all of creation and is why death, sin, suffering, pain, sorrow, grief, anguish, and evil abound in this present world and throughout all of creation which is why it is written that the entire creation groans and travails in pain to this day (Rom. 8:19-22) but not only did the disobedience of Adam and Eve bring sin and death to mankind and subjugate creation to the curse brought upon it due to the entry of sin into the world, it also gave Satan justification to claim lordship over the kingdoms and nations of the world (Mt. 4:8-9, Lk. 4:6-7) which is why he is called the prince of this world (Jn. 12:31, 16:11) and he reigns through the power of sin and death and he builds and retains his power upon lies and it was by a lie that he led the first man and the first woman into that fateful act of disobedience by which sin, death, evil, and every kind of grief, suffering, and hardship came into world, and by that same lie he subjugated mankind to sin and death and the entire creation to the death, decay, pain and suffering that is witnessed and experienced in it today, and it was that very same lie that made Satan the father of lies and which also made him a murderer (Jn. 8:44) and not only is Satan a liar and a murderer, but he is also the thief who comes to kill, steal, and destroy (Jn. 10:10)
 
By sin he murders and destroys and through deceit, he diminished the dominion mandate that was initially given to man (Gen. 1:26) and now has made himself lord and ruler over the entire world and continues to deceive multitudes with his lies, leading them to eternal destruction.
 
By a lie, he ruined that perfect unity that once existed between God and man and it was by that very lie that Satan had used to lead Adam and Eve into that fateful act of disobedience which brought sin, death, and all kinds of pain and suffering into the world that he had sown disunity and division that continues to this day and the division and the disunity that we witness and experience in the world today did not begin between people and it did not begin between men and women, but it began between man and God because the sin that entered into mankind caused a separation and an estrangement between man and his Maker and then afterwards that division and discord which began between God and man eventually became extended to the household between two brothers which resulted in one killing the other (Gen. 4) and this same division and discord that extended to the children has now not only put siblings at odds with one another but it has also put children at odds with their parents, has set neighbor against neighbor, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and has set those who should be enjoying a perfect and uninterrupted unity and fellowship with one another against each other and this same spirit that is responsible for racial division, class warfare, wars between different nations, kingdoms, and factions, political divisions, generational discord, is also responsible for the gender gap crisis as well.
 
What God intended to be united in a bond of a lasting matrimonial deep and intimate love is now divided by pride, conceit, selfishness, vanity, and self-righteousness, bitterness, envy, and hatred and it ought not exist anymore than any other form of division but if there is to be an irony to be found in the so-called war of the sexes is that the women and men who are at odds with one another are united with one another in their rebellion against the authority of their Creator and are united in their estrangement and separation from Him but the pleasure that they take in sin and unrighteousness has caused them to be divided against each other and needlessly so by their pride, conceit, selfishness, and sense of moral supremacy and self-righteousness and so apply standards to each other that they refuse to have applied to themselves or apply to themselves standards that they refuse to apply to each other all the while traveling together the same road that leads to eternal destruction in the darkness and fiery torments of Hell where both will face an eternity of unrelenting torment and punishment.
 
The day is coming when every man and every woman will give an account for all that they have said and done in this present life; even the very thoughts, motives, and attitudes will be called into account and just as attempting to blame Eve for his disobedience in the eating of the forbidden fruit did not spare Adam from accountability and judgment, and just as Eve’s attempt to blame the serpent for her disobedience in the eating of that forbidden fruit did not spare her from receiving her respective sentence, so neither will attempting to pass the buck onto someone or something else spare anyone from receiving their final sentence for their respective sins and transgressions because the buck is going to stop with each man and each woman and both who persist in their rebellion against their Creator and in their rejection of His authority, and in taking pleasure in those things that are evil and displeasing in His sight are going to find themselves together in a place of unrelenting punishment and torment that will last for all eternity where as the scripture repeatedly states, “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” but it is not the will of God that any should perish in eternal torment but that all (men and women both) come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9) and see both the man and the woman reconciled to each other and fully but that restoration and reconciliation begins with a reconciliation of both the man and woman to Himself and then afterwards a restoration of unity between the man and the woman and the restoration of that unity that he created to exist and to last between the man and the woman and one that is founded only in a pure and genuine self-sacrificing love for each other which begins in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior whom God sent into the world to offer Himself up on our behalf for our sins and to take away the sins of the world which He did by His death on the cross upon which He was crucified whose sinless blood purchased redemption on behalf of sinful man and after having purchased in His death our redemption, was raised again from the dead so that we, if we will but place our faith in Him for the forgiveness of our sin and for the salvation of our souls, will be made justified in Him in the sight of God the Father. (Rom. 4:25)
 
And it is the redemption of our souls that we receive in us an inward transformation (2 Cor. 5:17) that causes us to no longer desire to follow after selfish and worldly pursuits but after those things that pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven,
to no longer take pleasure in those things that are evil and displeasing in the sight of the Lord, but in that which is good, right, and pleasing in His sight,
to no longer desire to walk in the lies of this present world, but only in the truth that comes from Christ Almighty who is the source of all truth, (Jn. 14:6)
no longer placing our hopes in the things of this present world, but looking forward to that new and better world to come, (Rev. 21-22)
to no longer rely on worldly resources, men, or even our own power, abilities, skills, and wisdom for our needs and provision but upon God who is able to meet all of our needs, recognizing that the resources of this world and even the people He brings into our lives are but instruments and vessels through which God meets our needs and that the skills, power, knowledge, and wisdom by which we might acquire our provision are provided and instilled in us by God, (Mt. 6:25-33)
to no longer fear what men can do to us, but rather fearing the God before whom we will have to one day give an account for how we lived our lives, (Mt. 10:28)
to no longer look to corruptible institutions within our society for direction and order in our lives but to God who, by His written Word has given us laws and precepts to be applied to our lives and which serve to produce and maintain an ordered life, and who, by His Holy Spirit which comes to dwell within us upon repentance, establishes in our lives a course and direction in our lives to pursue for His glory,
to no longer seek our own glory but the glory of God,
to no longer rally behind corruptible men, but instead behind the incorruptible God in Heaven bearing in mind that those men and women God raises up for our edification are but instruments and servants of His for that respective purpose to which He has called them,
to no longer seek to align ourselves with the things of darkness but only with the things of the light,
to no longer trust in the wisdom of the world but only on the wisdom and knowledge that comes from above, (Jas. 1:5) nor depend on corruptible earthly authorities to swiftly administer justice, but only in the power of God to deliver us from evil.
 
Men and women have a choice to make: Unity, reconciliation, and restoration under Christ Jesus or a rejection of the grace and redemption He offers to both which will result in a continual division by sin against each other and not only that, an eternity of an unrelenting torment in the darkness and fires of Hell where there is no love, no mercy, and no reconciliation.
 
But if any of you out there who have yet to call upon the name of the Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins desire restoration, reconciliation, and an end to needless conflict and division in your life, then I urge you today to call upon His name for the forgiveness of sins and in sincere repentance because reconciliation and restoration begins with our Creator.  It is just a simple sincere prayer of repentance away:
 
 
"Lord Jesus I need you.
 
 
I realize that I am a sinner
who has fallen short of the glory of God
and that my goodness falls short
of your standard of Moral perfection.
 
Please forgive me of all of my sins.
Come into my heart and into my life
to be the Savior and Lord of my life.
Make me into the servant and follower
that you want me to be.
In your name Lord Jesus, I pray.
 
 
Amen."
 
 
Know that God is not concerned with the words that you use to call upon Him forgiveness, but with the attitude of your heart and if you have, with all sincerity, have asked Christ to forgive you of your sins, placing your trust in Him only for your salvation and in nothing else, then your sins are forgiven and your place in Heaven is certain.
 
 
 
End notes:
 
 
 
1.  Devin Fry, “‘Say Goodbye to Your Kids’: New details emerge in deaths of two Mandan children,”
Valley News, August 7, 2026
https://www.valleynewslive.com/2026/08/07/say-goodbye-your-kids-new-details-emerge-deaths-two-mandan-children/
 
2. “College Soccer Player Allegedly Killed; Boyfriend Blamed Demon,” Internews Cast, August 22, 2026
https://internewscast.com/news/us/college-soccer-player-allegedly-killed-boyfriend-blamed-demon/
 
3.  Kaeley Triller Harms, “The Lindsay Clancy Rorschach Test,” Honest To Goodness, August 19, 2026
https://kaeleytrillerharms.substack.com/p/the-lindsay-clancy-rorschach-test?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1216788&post_id=211882827&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=2m7ch&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
 
4.  Ibid.
 
5.  Ibid.
 
6.  Ibid.
 
 
 
Scripture references:
 
 
 
1.  Genesis 2:18
 
2.  Genesis 1:26
 
3.  Numbers 15:16
 
4.  Acts 10:34
 
5.  Galatians 3:28
 
6.  Colossians 3:11
 
7.  Genesis 3:4-5
 
8.  Genesis 3:19
 
9.  Isaiah 14:11-21, Ezekiel 28:12-19
 
10.  Romans 5:12
 
11.  Matthew 15:11, 18-20
 
12.  Romans 3:23
 
13.  Romans 6:23
 
14.  Romans 8:19-22
 
15.  Matthew 4:8-9, Luke 4:6-7
 
16.  John 12:31, 16:11
 
17.  John 8:44
 
18.  John 10:10
 
19.  Genesis 4
 
20.  2 Peter 3:9
 
21.  Romans 4:25
 
22.  2 Corinthians 5:17
 
23.  John 14:6
 
24.  Revelation 21-22
 
25.  Matthew 6:25-33
 
26.  Matthew 10:28
 
27.  James 1:5

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