Overview
- Prosecutors say the killings occurred on Jan. 24, 2023, when the mother strangled her three children and then attempted suicide, leaving her partially paralyzed and hospitalized.
- This week the trial shifted to psychiatric evidence as Dr. Jennifer Tufts, the outpatient psychiatrist who treated the defendant by telehealth, faced cross-examination about 14 brief visits, multiple medication changes and whether she missed signs of psychosis.
- The defense argues the defendant suffered command hallucinations and was misdiagnosed and overmedicated, while prosecutors point to diary entries, organized behavior after the deaths and toxicology evidence to portray the acts as deliberate.
- Judicial rulings have limited some lay testimony and kept graphic materials under seal, jurors toured the Duxbury home, and stipulations have narrowed witness lists and issues the jury will weigh.
- The outcome will determine whether the defendant is sent to prison for life or committed to a state psychiatric facility, a decision that is sharpening scrutiny of perinatal mental‑health care and related malpractice suits and could lead to a verdict in late August or September.