Who Is Avram Mack? Psychiatrist and Witness Resigns from Hospital Job Hours after Testifying Against Lindsay Clancy

A psychiatrist who testified against Lindsay Clancy during her murder trial resigned from his hospital job just hours after appearing on the witness stand. Dr. Avram Mack concluded that the 36-year-old was criminally responsible for killing her children after interviewing her in April.

The psychiatrist told the jury on Aug. 21 that the mother said, “Go to God,” to each of her children—five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson and eight-month-old Callan—as she strangled them with exercise bands at their Massachusetts home on Jan. 24, 2023. Mack later clashed repeatedly with defense attorney Kevin Reddington when he returned via Zoom for cross-examination on Monday, only to resign after a few hours.

Mysterious Decision

Mack, 54, resigned from his position as a psychiatrist at Nemours Children’s Health in Delaware without citing any reason. “Dr. Avram Mack is no longer employed by Nemours Children’s Health. He resigned on Monday, August 24,” a hospital spokesperson told the Daily Mail.

Prosecutors hired Mack, along with another doctor, to interview Clancy earlier this year at Tewksbury Hospital, where she is being held while awaiting the verdict.

Mack concluded that Clancy had suffered “a major depressive episode” but did not experience psychosis. He also said there were no signs that she had mania.

“The deaths were done one by one in a way that was organized and tended to achieve a particular goal,” Mack testified.

“Her suicide attempt was also organized and involved as many methods as possible.”

The psychiatrist said Clancy demonstrated that she was capable of making decisions when she asked to change her healthcare proxy from her then-husband, Patrick, to her parents.

Reddington engaged in a heated two-day cross-examination of Mack. At one point, Reddington asked him pointedly: “Your area of interest is in adolescents who like to smoke weed and drink, isn’t it?”

“No,” Mack replied.

Reddington then questioned whether Mack had “ever come within breathing distance of a pregnant woman.” He also challenged the psychiatrist’s experience treating women before appearing to suggest that Mack had made up parts of his testimony, asking: “What, are you making this up?”

Several Doubts Unclear

Reddington turned the questioning around on the state’s expert, asking Mack some of the same things prosecutors had put to the defense experts. He asked whether Mack had experienced confirmation bias, given that the state had contacted him as part of its efforts to challenge Clancy’s insanity defense. Mack denied that he had.

Reddington also questioned Mack about how much he earns from working as an expert witness.

The exchange grew tense as they discussed the DSM-5, a reference guide used by mental health professionals, as well as postpartum conditions.

When asked about postpartum psychosis, Mack described it as a “proposed” symptom or disorder.

Reddington then approached the screen and raised his voice: “Are you telling me you don’t believe or buy postpartum psychosis?”

“I’m not saying that at all,” Mack replied. At one point, Judge William Sullivan had to remind Mack to answer Reddington’s questions.

Clancy is on trial for killing her three children after strangling them with exercise bands and then allegedly attempting to take her own life. She survived the suicide attempt but was left paralyzed.

She has admitted killing her children but pleaded not guilty to murder on the grounds of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis. She is seeking commitment to a state mental health facility instead of a prison sentence.

The jury began deliberating on Thursday but had not reached a verdict by the end of Friday.