Shawna Gramkow faces wiretap charges over recording of Patrick Clancy's father

Shawna Gramkow, a 46-year-old resident of Sanford, Florida, has been charged with wiretapping in Massachusetts.

The incident began on Aug. 6 when Christopher Clancy, father of Patrick Clancy, accidentally answered a phone call. The caller recorded the conversation without his consent, an act that violates Massachusetts law. The audio captured a discussion between Christopher Clancy and his son, Brian. The recording was later uploaded to an Instagram account named "saltylunatics" on Aug. 30.

Christopher Clancy reported the unauthorized post to Scituate police on Sept. 4. He asked officers to investigate the account after discovering the clip of his voice. Police obtained a search warrant to examine the digital footprint of the account. Their investigation identified Gramkow as the owner. Her Instagram profile features hundreds of videos centered on conspiracy theories regarding Patrick Clancy. The account has accumulated 54,000 followers.

Scituate police filed a criminal complaint against Gramkow in Hingham District Court on Oct. 20. She is scheduled to be arraigned in Hingham on Nov. 20. The charges stem from the period following the Sept. 4 acquittal of Lindsay Clancy, Patrick Clancy's ex-wife, in the trial for the deaths of their three children. The verdict sparked intense online scrutiny of Patrick Clancy, with various influencers promoting theories that he was responsible for the deaths despite Lindsay Clancy's admission of guilt.

Gramkow responded to the charges through a statement posted online. She wrote, "The charges are false. And easy to prove." Patrick Clancy spoke in September about the difficulty of the public attention. He noted that it is painful to see the conflicting narratives and that it makes it difficult to be in public. He added that some people begin to believe the lies after seeing them repeatedly.

The case highlights the intersection of online fan culture and state privacy laws. Gramkow currently resides in Florida, just north of Orlando, while the legal proceedings are taking place in Massachusetts.