How ‘forensic fandom’ in Lindsay Clancy trial threaten postpartum psychosis awareness
Clancy’s live-streamed trial has become fodder for amateur sleuths to push viral conspiracy theories that threaten to undermine efforts to de-stigmatize illness, experts say Meghan Cliffel was riding the subway in New York City in December 2015 when she became convinced the entire city belonged to a cult that was plotting to kill her and her two daughters. When she got back to her Manhattan…
In December 2015, Meghan Cliffel's descent into what she believed was a cult's plot to kill her and her children began while riding the New York City subway. By the time she returned to her Manhattan apartment, Cliffel held the conviction that television announcers were speaking directly to her, threatening her and that the refrigerator was emitting poisonous gas.
Her husband became a target of her delusions, as she became convinced he was part of the same cult she feared. In a desperate attempt to show her loyalty to the alleged cult and to stop what she perceived as their nefarious plot, Cliffel physically assaulted her husband, trying to climb onto the building's roof. This harrowing account is a prime example of the dangers of "forensic fandom" in the Lindsay Clancy trial, as amateur sleuths and conspiracy theorists have harnessed the power of live-streamed trials to spread misinformation and further stigmatize mental illness.
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