Pushing Up Lilies

The Lindsay Clancy trial continues, and with each new day of testimony, the questions surrounding this case seem to become even more complicated.

In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I’m continuing my coverage as the defense presents its case and the jury hears from family members, mental health professionals, and forensic experts offering very different perspectives on Lindsay’s state of mind.

As a forensic nurse death investigator, I’m especially interested in what happens when experts examine the same evidence and reach very different conclusions. What does the testimony tell us? What questions remain unanswered? And how will the jury ultimately determine where severe mental illness ends and criminal responsibility begins?

I’ll also take you inside some of the more unexpected moments in the courtroom and share my perspective on what stood out to me as the trial moves closer to its conclusion.

There is a lot to unpack in this week’s testimony, and some of it may change the way you look at this case.

Through it all, I’ll continue to keep Cora, Dawson, and Callan at the center of this story as we follow the evidence and wait to see what comes next.

Content Note: This episode discusses the deaths of children, suicide, self-harm, postpartum mental illness, and other subjects that may be difficult for some listeners.

Last week, I took you through the devastating events of January 24, 2023, the night Lindsay Clancy’s three young children, Cora, Dawson, and Callan, were fatally harmed inside their family home in Duxbury, Massachusetts.

This week, we move from the home to the courtroom.

In The Lindsay Clancy Trial: Psychosis, Premeditation, or Both?, I take a closer look at one of the most complicated questions surrounding this case:

What was happening in Lindsay Clancy’s mind when her children died?

Lindsay’s mental health before the deaths has become a critical part of understanding the case. Her treatment, medications, reported symptoms, and concerns surrounding postpartum mental illness raise difficult questions about postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, and about how severe psychiatric illness affects criminal responsibility.

But there is another side to this case.

The circumstances surrounding that night also raise questions about planning and awareness. Lindsay’s husband, Patrick, left the home to run errands. During the relatively short period he was gone, the lives of all three children were changed forever.

So how does the legal system distinguish between an intentional, premeditated act and an act committed by someone experiencing profound psychosis?

Can a person appear organized or purposeful while simultaneously experiencing a severe break from reality?

And where does mental illness end and legal responsibility begin?

As a nurse and former forensic death investigator, I’m particularly interested in the intersection between the medical evidence and the investigative evidence. A case like this cannot be understood through one piece of information alone. We have to look at the timeline, behavior, medical and psychiatric history, physical evidence, statements, expert opinions, and what investigators were able to establish.

We also have to remember why this trial is happening.

Three young children lost their lives.

Whatever conclusions are ultimately reached about Lindsay’s mental state and criminal responsibility, Cora, Dawson, and Callan remain at the center of this case.

In this episode, I explore the competing questions surrounding the Lindsay Clancy trial and the challenge of evaluating a case in which mental illness and evidence of apparent planning may exist alongside one another.

Was this postpartum psychosis?

Was it premeditation?

Or is the truth more complicated than either explanation alone?

Join me for Part Two of the Lindsay Clancy case on Pushing Up Lilies:

The Lindsay Clancy Trial: Psychosis, Premeditation, or Both?

On January 24, 2023, what began as an ordinary evening for a young Massachusetts family ended in an unimaginable tragedy.

Lindsay Clancy was a labor and delivery nurse, wife, and mother of three young children. That night, her husband, Patrick, briefly left their Duxbury home to pick up dinner and medication. When he returned, everything had changed.

Their three children, Cora, Dawson, and Callan, would ultimately lose their lives, and Lindsay would survive after suffering serious injuries herself.

In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I walk you through what happened that night and the events surrounding the deaths of these three children.

As a nurse and former forensic death investigator, this case raises difficult questions for me, not only about the investigation itself, but about mental health following childbirth. Lindsay had reportedly been struggling with her mental health and receiving treatment before the deaths, bringing postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and postpartum psychosis into the national conversation.

What happens when a mother's perception of reality becomes distorted?

How do investigators begin reconstructing a scene involving multiple children and a critically injured parent?

And how do we discuss a case this devastating while remembering that at the center of it are three children whose lives were lost?

This week, we're focusing on the night everything happened: the timeline, the circumstances surrounding the deaths, and what investigators began to uncover.

Next week, we'll continue with the Lindsay Clancy case as we turn our attention to the courtroom, the evidence and arguments being presented, and the complicated questions surrounding postpartum psychosis and criminal responsibility.

This is a heartbreaking case with no easy answers.

When an entire family is lost, it's easy for the headlines to focus on the person responsible. In this episode, I wanted to do something different.

I'm taking you to Grand Haven Township, Michigan, where Mandy Karolkiewicz and her six children lost their lives in one of the most heartbreaking family annihilation cases of the year. Before we talk about the investigation, I want to remember the people whose lives mattered most, the victims.

Using my experience as a forensic death investigator, I'll walk you through how investigators process a scene involving multiple homicide victims, how forensic evidence helps determine the sequence of events, and why details like wound analysis, fire patterns, and scene reconstruction are so important.

We'll also discuss the research surrounding family annihilation, the psychological and behavioral patterns often seen in these cases and why recognizing risk factors may help save lives in the future. While we may never fully understand why these tragedies occur, we can learn from them, support those in crisis, and continue advocating for families before violence reaches a devastating conclusion.

This episode is shared with deep respect for Mandy, her six children, and everyone whose lives were forever changed by this tragedy.

When a murder ends in suicide, investigators lose one of the most important pieces of the puzzle—the person who could explain why.

In this episode, I take you inside several recent murder-suicide cases from across the United States, including tragedies involving entire families, intimate partners, and parents and children. From Michigan to Oklahoma, Delaware, and Florida, these heartbreaking cases remind us that every scene tells a story, but it's the evidence that reveals what truly happened.

As a forensic death investigator, I explain how investigators reconstruct these complex scenes by examining body position, injuries, blood evidence, trajectories, fire damage, digital evidence, timelines, and countless other details. When there is no suspect to interview, no trial, and often no suicide note, the investigation must rely on science, careful documentation, and the facts left behind.

We'll also discuss why protective orders don't always prevent violence, why investigators avoid speculation during active cases, and why it's important to distinguish between homicide and suicide when understanding these tragedies. Throughout the episode, I share the questions investigators ask, the evidence they search for, and why the answers aren't always immediately clear.

These cases are difficult to hear, but they also highlight the dedication of investigators, first responders, and forensic professionals who work tirelessly to uncover the truth for victims and their families.

Join me as we explore the investigative process behind one of the most challenging types of death investigations, and the questions that often remain when murder ends in suicide.

What happens when a young, healthy woman is found dead in her own home... and the questions begin long before the investigation has answers?

This week on Pushing Up Lilies, I'm taking a closer look at the life and death of Alexandra "Allie" Hummel, a 36-year-old licensed nurse from Missouri whose unexpected death remains under investigation. Based on publicly available information, I walk through the timeline of events leading up to her death, including a documented domestic violence incident that occurred less than a year earlier and why that history is significant in any death investigation.

From the 911 call to the pending toxicology results, I'll explain what investigators look for when responding to an unexpected death in the home, how prior incidents become part of the investigative process, and why every piece of evidence matters. As a forensic death investigator, I also share my professional perspective on scene documentation, autopsy findings, toxicology testing, and the importance of remaining objective while allowing the facts to determine the outcome.

Most importantly, this episode is about Allie, a dedicated nurse, mother, daughter, sister, and friend whose loved ones continue to seek answers. While this investigation is still ongoing, her story also shines a light on the realities of domestic violence, the challenges victims often face, and why support systems are so important.

Next week, I'll be joined by Allie's close friend, Kelsey, who will share personal memories of Allie and offer additional insight into the woman behind the headlines.

If you or someone you love is experiencing domestic violence, please know that help is available. You are not alone.

What happens when someone disappears... after they've already died?

In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I'm exploring one of the most unusual and heartbreaking cases I've ever researched, the disappearance of Julie Mott's remains from a San Antonio funeral home following her memorial service.

Julie was just 25 years old when she passed away after a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis. Her family gathered to honor her life, believing they would soon receive her ashes after cremation. Instead, they were met with an unimaginable nightmare: Julie's embalmed body had vanished.

I'll walk you through the timeline of events, from Julie's courageous life and memorial service to the shocking discovery that her remains were missing. We'll examine the police investigation, the role of a former boyfriend who became a person of interest, the civil trial that revealed serious security concerns within the funeral home, and why this mystery remains unsolved nearly a decade later.

As a forensic death investigator, I'll also share my professional perspective on the handling of human remains, chain of custody, funeral home security, and why cases like this are extraordinarily rare. We'll discuss what the evidence tells us, what it doesn't, and why preserving the dignity of the deceased is one of the most important responsibilities in death care.

No one has ever been criminally charged in connection with the disappearance, and Julie's remains have never been found.

This episode is a sobering reminder that even after death, families deserve answers, transparency, and the assurance that their loved ones will be treated with dignity and respect.

Join me as we examine one of the most perplexing and emotionally devastating mysteries in modern death investigation.

In this episode of Pushing Up Lilies, I'm examining the heartbreaking murder of 32-year-old Caroline Piña Cairo, a mother of five whose life was taken in a brutal daylight attack that stunned the Del Rio, Texas community.

When Caroline arrived at the hospital suffering from multiple stab wounds, medical teams fought to save her life. Despite their efforts, she later succumbed to her injuries. Three women were arrested and charged with her murder, but many questions surrounding the case remain unanswered as the investigation continues.

As a forensic death investigator and former emergency room nurse, I walk through what happens in the critical moments after a stabbing victim arrives at the hospital, why injuries like these can be far more severe than they first appear, and how investigators begin reconstructing a violent crime through witness statements, surveillance footage, forensic evidence, and medical findings. I also discuss why it's so important to separate verified facts from speculation while a case is still unfolding.

But more than anything, I want to remember Caroline.

She wasn't simply the victim in a headline. She was a mother, a friend, and someone remembered for her generosity and the kindness she showed others, even during difficult times in her own life. Behind every investigation is a family whose world has been forever changed, and five children who will grow up without their mother.

This episode contains discussion of homicide, stabbing violence, and death. Listener discretion is advised.