The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, who pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to killing her three young children, ended in a mistrial Friday after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict. Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, directly criticized one juror, stating the individual blocked a not-guilty verdict.
Clancy admitted to strangling her children — Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months — at their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home in January 2023. Her defense argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings. The jury deliberated for nearly 38 hours over three days before informing the judge they were deadlocked.
"Where do I begin to thank these jurors…minus one," Reddington told reporters following the mistrial declaration. "I hope that guy can sleep at night." He referred to the holdout juror as having "a bias against those who suffer from debilitating mental illness."
Reddington had made a last-minute appeal to the Supreme Judicial Court, requesting an inquiry into the lone juror's ability to apply the law, citing the Americans with Disabilities Act. He argued that the juror’s position was intractable and that a mistrial was avoidable if the court intervened.
Judge William Sullivan declared the mistrial, noting it was the third time the panel, composed of nine women and three men, had reported being unable to reach a unanimous decision. The judge also issued an order for the jurors' identities to remain confidential for at least 14 days, citing social media reactions to the case.
Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, appeared detached as the mistrial was announced, while some jurors were seen weeping. She is expected to return to Tewksbury Hospital, a state-run psychiatric facility.
Patrick Clancy, Lindsay Clancy’s ex-husband, issued a statement through his attorney expressing gratitude for the jury's service but also dreading the prospect of a retrial. "The loss of Patrick’s children is something from which he will never recover and from which there will never be closure," the statement read. "The prospect of reliving this tragedy through another trial is extraordinarily painful – for Patrick, for his family, and for all of us."
Reddington suggested that District Attorney Tim Cruz was "crushed" by the case and predicted that prosecutors might choose not to pursue a retrial. "If I was Tim Cruz I would probably say I don't think I want to do a retrial because he's going to lose," Reddington stated.
A hearing is scheduled for September 29 to determine the next steps, which could include a new trial, a plea agreement, or efforts by the defense to have the charges dismissed. Reddington indicated that Clancy would be ready for a new trial, which could occur in the fall.