Lindsay Clancy Trial: Diagnosis Chaos and a $300K Question for the Prosecution's Expert

**Tony Brueski** (0:00)
This is live courtroom coverage of the trial of Lindsay Clancy from the Hidden Killers podcast in True Crime Today. Now, back to the courtroom.

**Kevin Reddington** (0:11)
Her opinion on page 35 is that at the time of the incident that Lindsay Clancy was suffering from a mental disease, and then you have the opinion, however, she retains substantial capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness and criminality of her conduct. Is that correct?
Did I read that right? And the mental disease from which she suffered, in your opinion, was a mood disorder, major depressive episode. Is that right?

**SPEAKER_3** (0:42)
Yeah.

**Kevin Reddington** (0:43)
And you further opined that she may have also had an anxiety disorder that preceded or continued to be present while the major depressive episode proceeded through January 24th. Is that right?

**SPEAKER_3** (0:59)
Yeah.

**Kevin Reddington** (0:59)
Okay. Now, you're aware that she has been at Toopsbury under a particular diagnosis of a mental disease or defect, right?
Yes. What is that?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (1:15)
I believe it's adjustment disorder.

**Kevin Reddington** (1:17)
Adjustment disorder. Is it not your understanding, sir, that she's suffering according to diagnosis of bipolar disorder?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (1:27)
I think she, well, you'd have to show me where you're referring to.

**Kevin Reddington** (1:31)
So did you have a chance to review Dr. Helbron's report?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (1:36)
I did.

**Kevin Reddington** (1:37)
And do you know what Dr. Helbron's opinion was?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (1:41)
In terms of?

**Kevin Reddington** (1:42)
Diagnosis.

**Dr. Avram Mack** (1:45)
Yes.

**Kevin Reddington** (1:46)
What was it?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (1:49)
I think he made a diagnosis of bipolar type 2

**Kevin Reddington** (1:54)
So you have nurse practitioner Gelada, who as a treating practitioner indicates that the diagnosis possibly is bipolar disorder, correct?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (2:10)
I don't know that she used those terms, but I know that she was concerned about the part.

**Kevin Reddington** (2:15)
And you know, because you've obviously read and incorporated into your report Dr. Resnick's opinion, correct?
Correct. And what is Dr. Resnick's opinion, sir, to your understanding?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (2:29)
In terms of the diagnosis?

**Tony Brueski** (2:30)
Yeah.

**Dr. Avram Mack** (2:32)
Bipolar type 2

**Tony Brueski** (2:33)
Okay.

**Kevin Reddington** (2:34)
How about Dr. Zeisel? You also had access to and incorporated into his report, your report, his diagnosis. What was that?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (2:45)
Offhand, I don't remember what his diagnosis was.

**Kevin Reddington** (2:47)
How about Meg Spinelli? Did you have a chance to review her report and incorporate that into your report?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (2:57)
I reviewed her report.

**Kevin Reddington** (2:58)
Do you know what her diagnosis was, sir?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (3:02)
I believe it was bipolar type 1 Right.

**Kevin Reddington** (3:05)
So with all of the various health care providers, that have an opinion of bipolar type 1, would you agree that that is a very strong indicator that a person could very well be suffering from post-partum depression?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (3:29)
I'm confused by your question because that last piece is not necessarily inconsistent with the diagnosis of major depressive episode. I'm asking you, sir, about the other day was when that specifier is able to be used, that would be a diagnostic question.

**Kevin Reddington** (3:52)
So with the understanding that nurse practitioner Gelater is bipolar or looking at bipolar, that Zizel report, you don't know or recall what it is, but you incorporated it into your report, Dr. Resnick is bipolar too. You feel that this is or is not indicative of a precursor to a person suffering from postpartum depression.
It's in the books, in the articles, right?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (4:32)
Your use of terms to me seems apples and oranges. The question of postpartum depression would be, does the person have a mood disorder and is it in the time frame following birth? I can't hear you.

**Kevin Reddington** (4:52)
I'm sorry. Can you say that again, please?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (4:58)
We're talking about categories that are not aligned with each other.

**Kevin Reddington** (5:02)
No, I'm asking you what your answer was, okay? What's your answer?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (5:10)
You'd have to restate the question.

**Kevin Reddington** (5:12)
Okay. You recall Friday, sir, that you were talking about onset of post-potem depression symptoms occurring within a particular time frame. Do you recall that, sir?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (5:29)
The diagnosis would be a depression.

**Kevin Reddington** (5:30)
My question is simple. Do you recall saying what the time frame was Friday?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (5:36)
I'm trying to answer your question.

**Kevin Reddington** (5:38)
What is the time frame?

**Dr. Avram Mack** (5:42)
The time frame designated for the diagnostic specifier called with post-potem onset is four weeks.