PLYMOUTH, Mass. — The high-profile murder trial of Lindsay Clancy moved toward a mistrial Friday morning after jurors again told the court they could not reach a unanimous verdict following seven days of deliberations.
Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan initially announced that he intended to declare a mistrial after receiving a third notification from the jury that it remained deadlocked. However, the proceedings took another turn when Clancy’s defense requested time to seek an emergency appeal. Sullivan agreed to hold off for one hour while the defense pursued that option.
The development comes after weeks of testimony in a case that has drawn national attention and focused heavily on questions surrounding postpartum mental health and criminal responsibility.
Jury Unable to Reach Unanimous Decision
Clancy, 36, is accused of killing her three children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan — inside the family’s Duxbury, Massachusetts, home in January 2023.
Clancy has not disputed that she killed the children. Instead, the central issue at trial has been whether she was criminally responsible for her actions at the time.
Her attorneys argued that the former labor and delivery nurse was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible. Prosecutors maintained that Clancy understood what she was doing and deliberately carried out the killings.
Jurors began deliberating on Aug. 27 and repeatedly reported difficulty reaching an agreement.
The situation became increasingly complicated Thursday when the jury’s foreperson indicated that one juror was allegedly refusing to properly apply the court’s instructions concerning reasonable doubt.
Judge Sullivan individually questioned jurors and again instructed the panel on the law before ordering deliberations to continue.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington subsequently asked Sullivan to remove the juror and replace that person with an alternate, arguing the juror was refusing to follow the court’s instructions. Sullivan declined, saying the information before him did not establish that the juror was refusing to follow the law.
Judge Signals Mistrial
When jurors returned Friday and again reported that they could not reach a unanimous decision, Sullivan indicated he had reached the point where a mistrial would be declared.
Before that declaration became final, however, Reddington requested a stay so the defense could pursue an emergency appeal concerning the disputed juror.
Sullivan granted the defense one hour.
If a mistrial ultimately stands, prosecutors could seek to try Clancy again. Other possibilities could include resolving the case through a plea agreement or deciding not to pursue another trial.
The case remains developing, with further court action expected following the defense’s emergency appeal.
First Source News will update this story as additional information becomes available.
