Elaine Rossi, the former nanny who cared for the Clancy family’s three children, emerged as one of the witnesses on Day 7 of the murder trial of on Wednesday.
Rossi testified that although Lindsay struggled with postpartum mental health issues, insomnia and weight loss, she never believed the former labor and delivery nurse was a danger to her children or herself.
Lindsay’s defense argues that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder when she strangled her children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan, on January 24, 2023. Prosecutors contend Lindsay acted intentionally and should be held criminally responsible.
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Who is Elaine Rossi and where is she now?
According to her courtroom testimony, Elaine Rossi has worked as a professional nanny for about 15 years and currently lives in Kingston, Massachusetts.
She was hired by the Clancy family in September 2022 after she responded to a Facebook advertisement seeking a part-time nanny.
Rossi was initially brought on to care for baby Callan while Lindsay planned to return to work. She said that her responsibilities later expanded to include meal preparation, light housekeeping, laundry, and occasionally caring for Cora and Dawson.
She was let go within three months of joining in December 2022 after Lindsay decided not to return to work. Patrick and Lindsay Clancy informed her they no longer needed childcare because they would both be home. Rossi said that she wasn’t told why Lindsay chose to remain at home.
Rossi said the employment ended on good terms, and she even exchanged Christmas greetings with Lindsay weeks before the killings.
In her testimony on Wednesday, she talked about her time spent with the Clancy family and described Cora as a “girly-girl” who enjoyed crafts. Dawson, who was three years old, was “full of energy, rambunctious, funny, silly.” As a newborn, Callan was the “sweetest, happiest.”
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What Rossi told the jury : “A wonderful mom”
During testimony, Rossi described Lindsay Clancy as “a wonderful mom who loved her kids.”
“I observed a wonderful mom who loved her kids,” Rossi testified. “She was concerned about their safety, and Callan eating and sleeping.”
Rossi testified that she saw prescription medicine bottles in the house. She detailed that Lindsay “shared with me she had postpartum and couldn’t sleep,” and had taken to sleeping in the basement.
She recalled that Lindsay planned to stop breastfeeding because she was starting medication. However, Rossi said she never knew what medications Clancy was taking and was unaware of emergency room visits in late 2022.
The nanny also testified that she noticed Lindsay had lost a significant amount of weight during the months they worked together. Even so, she said she never feared for the children’s safety.
She also recounted one incident when Dawson hit baby Callan. According to Rossi, Lindsay immediately comforted Callan and later addressed Dawson’s behaviour appropriately.
She further told jurors that Lindsay communicated mainly through text messages and a notebook in the family’s kitchen. The notebook contained detailed feeding schedules, sleep routines and care instructions for Callan.
When asked if she felt those were controlling, she described these notes and instructions as appropriate guidance from “a mother who was attentive to her child’s needs.”
