Patrick Clancy Opens Up About Grief, Forgiveness and Moving Forward on 60 Minutes

Patrick Clancy’s first televised interview since the mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy case was not a typical true-crime appearance. On CBS’s 60 Minutes, he spoke about grief, mental health, forgiveness and the lasting memory of his three children.

Clancy appeared alongside his new wife, Dr. Rachel Danis. Together, they offered a rare look at the private life behind one of the most closely watched family tragedies in Massachusetts.

Who Is Patrick Clancy?

Patrick Clancy is the father of Cora, Dawson and Callan, the three children who died in January 2023. Their mother, Lindsay Clancy, admitted to strangling the children but argued that she was experiencing postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible.

A jury could not reach a unanimous verdict in the case. The judge declared a mistrial on September 4, 2026. Prosecutors have not announced whether Lindsay Clancy will face another trial.

Patrick Clancy became a central figure in the case after finding his children at the family home in Duxbury, Massachusetts. In the years that followed, he faced not only the loss of his children but also intense public attention, courtroom testimony and online speculation.

His 60 Minutes interview marked the first time he discussed those experiences in detail on television.

What Patrick Clancy Said on 60 Minutes

Speaking with correspondent Ross Douthat, Clancy described grief as something that changes shape but never disappears.

He recalled the final days of his youngest child, Callan, who survived for several days after the attack. Doctors told the family that the infant had suffered severe brain damage.

Clancy said he continued to hope that Callan might survive.

“Just give me one,” he remembered thinking. “Just give me one kid, and I would raise him as best I could.”

Callan later died in his father’s arms.

“I got to hold him,” Clancy said. “I got to lay down next to him, and he died in my arms.”

That memory remains one of the most painful parts of his story. It also explains why Clancy continues to speak about his children as individuals—not simply as victims in a criminal case.

Patrick Clancy’s Struggle With Grief

Clancy said he battled severe emotional distress after the deaths. At one point, he experienced suicidal thoughts and did not believe he would live to see his 35th birthday.

His testimony at the trial also caused a serious panic attack. The episode came after he spoke at length about the night he found the children. During a break, he said his heart began pounding and he was taken to an ambulance.

Even then, he chose to return to the courtroom.

The decision reflected a painful reality: Clancy wanted to finish the testimony, despite the emotional cost, so he could move forward from one of the hardest chapters of his life.

He also said he still dreams about his children. In one dream, Cora appeared and gave him a hug.

“Those dreams are so real,” he said.

For Clancy, remembering his children is not about remaining trapped in the past. It is part of continuing to be their father.

Why Did Patrick Clancy Forgive Lindsay?

One of the most difficult parts of Patrick Clancy’s story is his decision to forgive Lindsay.

Soon after the children’s deaths, he publicly asked people to forgive her, as he had. On 60 Minutes, he explained that he did not see forgiveness as a denial of what happened.

Instead, he viewed it as a way to survive.

Clancy said headlines calling Lindsay a “monster” or “baby murderer” did not capture the mental illness he believed had influenced her actions. He said that if he could not reach forgiveness, anger and hatred might consume him.

“If I didn’t get there, I would be eaten up inside forever,” he said.

His view remains controversial, especially because the case has not produced a final verdict. But Clancy’s position is personal rather than political. It reflects the complicated emotions of someone grieving children while also trying to understand the person responsible for their deaths.

Forgiveness, in this case, does not mean forgetting. It means choosing not to let hatred define the rest of his life.

Patrick Clancy and Perinatal Mental Health

Clancy also spoke about the warning signs he noticed before the killings.

He said Lindsay began struggling with sleep, anxiety, depression and intrusive thoughts after the birth of their third child. He remembered one night when she told him she had not slept at all.

At the time, he said, he did not understand postpartum illness well enough to know how serious the situation had become.

“I didn’t know how to manage a postpartum illness,” he said. “Mental illness has this ability to be tragically deceptive.”

Clancy has since emphasized the importance of perinatal mental health. He has argued that online conspiracy theories distract from the larger issue: how families recognize and respond to severe mental illness during pregnancy and after childbirth.

Postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis are not the same condition, and severe symptoms require urgent medical attention.

Warning signs can include extreme confusion, hallucinations, delusions, severe insomnia or thoughts of harming oneself or others. Anyone experiencing an immediate danger should contact emergency services or a crisis line.

Who Is Rachel Danis?

Rachel Danis is Patrick Clancy’s new wife. She is a fertility specialist based in New York City.

According to reports, Danis met Clancy at a run club in January 2024. The couple married in New York City in April 2026.

Danis joined Clancy for part of the 60 Minutes interview. She spoke carefully about the limits of what she can do for someone living with profound grief.

“I can’t bring his kids back,” Danis said. “But if I can honor them and allow Pat to grieve, but also continue to honor them in the present, I guess that’s all I can do.”

Her role in Clancy’s life is not to replace the children he lost or erase his past. Instead, she described herself as someone who tries to carry some of the emotional weight with him.

Did Patrick Clancy Remarry?

Yes. Patrick Clancy remarried Dr. Rachel Danis in April 2026.

The couple now lives in New York City. Clancy said moving away from Massachusetts gave him a degree of privacy and allowed him to grieve without being recognized everywhere.

He recalled visiting St. Patrick’s Cathedral to light a candle for Callan. When he walked outside, he began to cry. On Fifth Avenue, surrounded by strangers, he felt anonymous.

For Clancy, that anonymity became a form of freedom.

He could mourn without having to explain himself.

Are Patrick Clancy and Rachel Danis Starting a Family?

Yes. During the interview, the couple confirmed that they are starting a family. They did not share further details.

Clancy said he hopes to tell a future child about Cora, Dawson and Callan.

“They’re all your kids,” he said. “And I can’t wait to tell them about their brothers and sister.”

That statement captures the central theme of his interview. Clancy is not trying to erase the children he lost as he builds a new life. He wants their memory to remain part of his family’s future.

What Time Is 60 Minutes On Tonight?

The Patrick Clancy interview aired on Sunday, September 20, 2026, at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on CBS. It was also available to stream through Paramount+ and CBS-related streaming platforms.

For future episodes, the exact schedule may change because 60 Minutes often shifts its start time when CBS carries sports or special programming.

Where to Watch 60 Minutes

Viewers can generally watch 60 Minutes through:

• The CBS Television Network.

• Local CBS stations.

• Paramount+.

• Live-TV streaming services that carry CBS.

• Services such as Fubo, depending on location and available plans.

A Fubo free trial may be available for eligible new subscribers, but trial terms, pricing and channel access can change. Check the service’s current offer before signing up.

The Larger Meaning of Clancy’s Interview

Patrick Clancy’s interview was not only about a criminal case. It was also about what happens after headlines fade.

He spoke about the daily work of surviving grief, the pain of public judgment and the difficulty of separating facts from rumors. He also showed how a person can hold several emotions at once: love for his children, anger at what happened, compassion for Lindsay and hope for the future.

The case remains legally unresolved. The mistrial means there was no final jury verdict, and prosecutors have not said whether they will seek another trial.

But Clancy’s message was clear: the public conversation should focus less on online theories and more on the lives lost, the people left behind and the need for better awareness of perinatal mental illness.

His story does not offer an easy ending. It offers something more realistic—a picture of a father learning to carry unbearable loss while still trying to live.

Sources

• Associated Press: Patrick Clancy gives first TV interview on 60 Minutes after Lindsay Clancy mistrialapnews

• NBC Boston: Patrick Clancy gives first TV interview after Lindsay Clancy mistrialnbcboston

• Boston.com: Patrick Clancy’s 60 Minutes interviewboston

• ABC News: Lindsay Clancy trial ends in mistrialabcnews

• USA Today: Patrick Clancy and Rachel Danis’ 60 Minutes appearance