A GoFundMe supporting Lindsay Clancy’s parents has raised over $1.1 million in the aftermath of the mistrial of the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her three children.
The fundraising page was initially set up for Mike and Paula Musgrove, Lindsay’s parents, in August. “This fundraiser is for, Mike and Paula, who have spent years traveling back and forth, staying in hotels, attending court proceedings and ultimately relocating from Connecticut to Massachusetts so they could remain close to Lindsay,” organizer Brandee Mulligan wrote.
“Their lives have largely been put on hold while they have continued doing what parents do: showing up for their child during the unimaginable.”
The GoFundMe initially had a goal of $1 million, but in the hours after the mistrial, Clancy’s online supporters pushed the fundraiser beyond that mark. Mulligan then upped the goal to $3 million on Friday, the same day the judge declared a mistrial after one juror steadfastly refused to align with the other 11.
With a potential retrial looming, “I’ve decided to raise the goal of this fundraiser since this process has been extended, so is the time Paula and Mike will remain away from their home, continuing to carry the costs that come with being there for their daughter every day,” Mulligan wrote.
At press time, the GoFundMe has amassed over $1.175 million, including $5,000 from one anonymous donor.
With the success of the GoFundMe, copycat fundraisers have also appeared on the platform, both in support of and against Clancy; “Lindsay Clancy is an awful person!” and “Against the Musgrove Family Fund” are two of the GoFundMe pages aiming to cash in on the uproar over the mistrial (and thus, not a guilty verdict).
GoFundMe told CT Insider that the platform is monitoring and “reviewing” all Clancy-related fundraisers. “Any found to be in violation of our terms of service will be removed,” the company said.
“At some point, the court proceedings will end. Mike and Paula will still have a life to return to. There will still be bills, a home, lost savings, and years of putting their own lives on hold while they stood beside their daughter,” Mulligan continued.
“More than anything, this fundraiser came from a very simple thought: What if thousands of strangers could help carry just one piece of this for them?”
