Last week, a Child Protective Services worker suspected that Texas mom, Shamaiya Hall, whose five children had been removed from her custody, was visiting them unsupervised and without permission. The CPS employee went to investigate and discovered a devastating scene. Hall allegedly stabbed all five of her children, including a 6-year-old, 5-year-old twins, a 4-year-old, and a 13-month-old. The twins and the 6-year-old died from their injuries, and Hall has been charged with capital murder.
As tragic as the Hall case is, it's drawing comparisons to one recent high-profile case that has been used as a megaphone for those concerned with maternal mental health and the effects of postpartum depression.
In January, Massachusetts mom Lindsay Clancy allegedly killed her three children while her husband went out to pick up dinner. Now, some are claiming that both authorities and the public are handling the two cases quite differently, despite the obvious similarities.
Clancy also allegedly killed three children, but some say her story has been viewed differently by the legal system and by the public.
Clancy reportedly strangled her three children to death with exercise bands while her husband picked up takeout. She then allegedly attempted to kill herself.
While the alleged crimes of the two moms are incredibly similar, the outcome for both women — at least so far — as well as public perception, has been vastly different.
Hall has been charged with three counts of capital murder, while Clancy was charged with two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation, and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, according to WCVB-TV.
Many have argued that Clancy killed her kids because of an ongoing battle with postpartum depression.
Clancy had a documented battle with mental illness. The 32-year-old had been struggling for months and was prescribed 13 different drugs in eight months, according to MEAWW. Her defense attorney has said her that her mental break was a side effect of the drugs.
Interestingly, low-income Black women are at a greater risk for postpartum depression, though they are less likely to receive treatment, according to a study published in the medical journal, Psychiatric Services. Despite that statistic, not much conversation has surfaced about whether Hall's actions were prompted by postpartum depression, even though her youngest child is only a year old.
Mental illness may run in Hall's family.
There is even speculation that postpartum mental illness may run in Hall’s family. Her twin sister, Troyshaye Hall, stabbed and killed her 7-year-old daughter in 2021. She was found incompetent to stand trial and is currently living in a mental health facility, according to CBS.
While Hall is being regarded as a demon by some, Clancy has inspired an entire conversation about postpartum mental illness, and has received a lot of empathy and compassion on social media.
'... Either have compassion for both or none at all,' one Twitter user wrote.
Although it's been only days since Hall allegedly attacked her children, people have already noticed the difference between the narrative that is forming around her case and comparing it to how the Clancy case has largely been presented.
“I will always feel bad for mothers dealing with postpartum depression and what they go through and the tragedy that unfolds because of it,” one Twitter user wrote about Clancy.
But the conversation around Hall has generally been less sympathetic. As a Black woman, she’s even been the subject of several racist attacks online.
There are others who have dismissed mental illness as a possibility altogether. “To all you people blaming this on mental illness, stop now!” one user wrote. “I am a MH provider for a highly acute population. A vast majority of people with MH issues know EXACTLY what they’re doing when committing unspeakable acts. Why do you think “not guilty by reason of insanity” is so rare?
Some Twitter users have pointed out the difference in the treatment these women are receiving. “Funny how people are so sympathetic with #lindsayclancy but call #shamaiyahall a monster…either have compassion for both or none at all," reads one tweet.
That said, the prosecutors in the Clancy case have been vocal about their belief that the murder of her children was premeditated and that she should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. In the case of Hall, how her case is ultimately handled by the court remains to be seen.
Hall could be sentenced to death, while Clancy cannot.
In Texas, capital murder, according to VersusTexas.com, is punishable by life in prison without parole or the death penalty, that's different from murder, which is punishable by life in prison with the possibility for parole.
Hall’s sentence is also reportedly more severe because her children were under the guardianship of another family member. Unlike in Texas, in Massachusetts, where Clancy will be tried, there is no death penalty.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
