Denis learned about the death of Clancy’s children during their first coffee date. “I know I can’t bring his kids back,” Denis told 60 Minutes. “But if I can honor them and allow Pat to grieve but also just continue to honor them in the present, I guess that’s all I can do.”
Earlier in the interview, Patrick was asked if he struggled with suicidal thoughts after his children’s deaths. “There was a time that I didn’t think I’d live to see my 35th birthday. And I was completely fine with it,” he said, later adding, “My life has changed since I met Rachel in such a positive way.”
The couple is expecting a baby together. When asked what he plans to tell his child about their siblings, Patrick replied: “I think every parent can agree, you have different relationships with your kids, but they’re all your kids. And I can’t wait to tell them about their brothers and sister.”
Speaking with correspondent Ross Douthat, Patrick recalled the day that “everything just came to a screeching halt” on January 24, 2023—when his ex-wife, a former Massachusetts labor and delivery nurse, killed their three children at their home.
Cora, 5, and Dawson, 3, died at the scene, but their youngest, 8-month-old Callan, was still alive when first responders arrived. He was airlifted to Boston Children’s Hospital, where doctors kept his heart beating for four days.
“I really thought there was a chance that Callan would live,” Patrick told 60 Minutes. “I remember just thinking, ‘Just gimme one kid, and I would raise him as best as I could, and I would give him the best life I possibly could.” Callan eventually succumbed to his injuries, but “I’m so grateful for those four days that I had with him,” Patrick said. “And I’m so grateful he hung on. . .He died in my arms.”
Patrick said that while Lindsay has not asked for his forgiveness, he has given it anyway. “I saw headlines that said, you know, ‘Killer Mom,’ and ‘Baby Murderer,’ ‘Monster.’ And none of ‘em were accurate,” he added. “I believe that it was her mental illness that caused that. So I shared those words. And I think when it comes to forgiveness, I also felt that if I didn’t get there, I would be eaten up inside forever.”
Lindsay did not testify during the five-week trial, but Patrick took the stand as the prosecution’s first witness. After returning home from running errands on January 24, 2023, Patrick testified that he found Lindsay outside, lying face-up and bleeding in their backyard and called 911. When he asked where their children were, Lindsay told Patrick they were in the basement, he testified, but she did not mention that they were injured or endangered. When first responders arrived at the Clancy home, Patrick went to the basement, where he found his children and screamed, “She killed the fucking kids!” a Duxbury police officer testified.