Who is Dr. Kelly McDonough? Lindsay Clancy emergency room doctor slammed amid trial; here's what she testified

ER physician Dr. Kelly McDonough was grilled about her treatment of Lindsay Clancy after her suicide attempt. 

Updated on: Aug 19, 2026, 13:10:33 IST

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Dr. Kelly McDonough, the emergency-room physician who treated Lindsay Clancy after the January 2023 deaths of her three children, became a focus of courtroom scrutiny during Clancy's murder trial after defense attorney Kevin Reddington repeatedly questioned her recollection of the medical treatment she provided.

McDonough testified on August 3 at Plymouth Superior Court, describing Clancy's condition after she was found outside her Duxbury home following an apparent suicide attempt.

Clancy is charged with killing her three children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan. Her defense has acknowledged that she killed the children but argues that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible. Prosecutors contend she should be held responsible for the killings.

Who is Dr. Kelly McDonough?

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McDonough is an emergency medicine physician at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Massachusetts. She was among several medical professionals called to testify about what happened after Clancy was found seriously injured outside her family's home.

Her testimony was different from that of several pediatric and critical-care doctors who treated Clancy's children and later described their efforts to save them.

What did McDonough testify?

McDonough testified about Clancy's physical condition after the fall and the injuries doctors observed.

One significant point concerned cuts on Clancy's neck and wrists. McDonough described those injuries as “superficial,” testimony that prosecutors appeared to use as they questioned the circumstances surrounding Clancy's apparent suicide attempt.

Clancy had reportedly jumped from a second-story window after cutting herself, according to the trial reporting.

McDonough also testified about treating Clancy's injuries and her medical condition at the hospital.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Kevin Reddington pressed McDonough on her recollection of treating Clancy more than three years earlier.

According to The Boston Globe, Reddington also questioned whether McDonough had reviewed her medical notes before taking the stand.

During the questioning, McDonough said she did not recall certain details about Clancy’s treatment, at times referring to her records to refresh her memory.

The exchange prompted criticism of McDonough online, with some social-media users questioning why she appeared unable to recall aspects of the case.

“She claimed to prep for testimony but stated, “I don’t recall” no less than 50 times to @kevinreddi35550. What a cold hearted “doctor”. Simply disgusting,” one user wrote on X.

Another user said “Your credibility Dr. Kelly McDonough, isn’t JUST your credentials,” on X.

“MA’AM THIS IS THE MURDER TRIAL INVOLVING THREE INNOCENT BABIES.. reviewing your hospital records PRIOR to testifying would have been nice… maybe we should be taking this a little more seriously!” another user posted.

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