Prosecutor in Susan Smith Case Says Clancy Failed to Prove Psychosis Defense

A former prosecutor who secured a conviction against Susan Smith has challenged the mental health claims made by Lindsay Clancy’s legal team, asserting that the 36-year-old failed to establish evidence of a genuine psychotic break. Rep. Tommy Pope, now speaker pro tempore of the South Carolina House of Representatives, made his assessment as jurors prepared to begin deliberations following closing arguments on Thursday.

Clancy stands accused of three counts of first-degree murder in connection with the January 2023 deaths of her three children — Cora, Dawson and Callan, each under age 6 — whose bodies were discovered strangled inside the family residence. The defense team contends that postpartum psychosis drove the killings, a position prosecutors have systematically refuted throughout the trial.

Pope, who prosecuted Smith for drowning her two young sons, Michael and Alexander, in 1994, emphasized that prosecutors focus on establishing whether a defendant’s actions demonstrate an actual departure from reality or simply represent a calculated crime. He noted that seemingly ordinary actions — such as ordering dinner or sending her husband away — become significant when evaluating whether a defendant maintained conscious awareness of their conduct.

A key distinction Pope highlighted involves motive. While Smith’s murders appeared connected to a romantic relationship, Clancy’s case presents what Pope described as an unclear end goal, complicating the prosecution’s narrative around intentionality.

Gregory Saathoff, a forensic psychiatrist at the University of Virginia who consults with the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, testified that financial stress significantly burdened Clancy. He stated she believed her cognitive abilities had deteriorated, preventing her from working or contributing financially to her family, leaving her feeling like a burden.

Defense attorney Kevin Reddington questioned Saathoff regarding sleep deprivation’s psychological effects, drawing an acknowledgment that severe insomnia can trigger psychotic episodes and is used as a torture method. Saathoff confirmed that such extreme sleep loss “can actually lead to psychosis.”