Lindsay Clancy's Ex Patrick Says Accountability Still Matters in Her Murder Case

Patrick Clancy says compassion and accountability can coexist in a murder case when mental illness is involved ... even in a tragedy as horrific as the deaths of his three children.

A new clip from Patrick's "60 Minutes" interview aired on "CBS Mornings" Tuesday ... and it features his thoughts on what justice looks like in cases like his ex-wife Lindsay Clancy's murder trial.

Patrick said he believes society can find a compassionate way to deal with such tragedies, but stressed, "That doesn't mean no accountability."

For Patrick, compassion means recognizing the suffering and stigma tied to mental illness while also finding ways to prevent similar tragedies from happening again.

That tension was at the heart of Lindsay's trial. Her defense argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible ... yet prosecutors said the killings were planned and she knew they were wrong.

Lindsay was charged with murdering their children Cora, Dawson and Callan. Her trial ended in a mistrial earlier this month after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.

As TMZ previously reported, Patrick revealed during Sunday's wide-ranging interview that he held Callan in his arms as the boy took his final breaths, telling him he was sorry.

Patrick also spoke about looking toward the future ... saying he hopes to tell his future children about their late brothers and sister.