A juror in the Lindsay Clancy case has spoken out about the deliberations that led to a mistrial, describing a lone holdout juror who focused on the amount of blood found in the bedroom and lectured his peers on "respect" rather than providing clear reasons for his not-guilty vote.
Plymouth Superior Court declared a mistrial last week after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict in the case of Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of killing her three young children. Paula Devlin, 65, a juror in the case, told the Daily Mail that 11 of the 12 jurors felt "defeat" and "anger" when a mistrial was declared.
Devlin stated the unidentified male juror was "quiet" for most of the week-long deliberations and preoccupied with "policing the tenor of the group's discussions." She recounted instances where he would interrupt, insisting others be "respectful" and lecturing them on proper conversation, which Devlin found to be a distraction from the legal considerations.
When pressed by other jurors to explain his reasoning for believing Clancy was guilty, the holdout juror was largely unresponsive, according to Devlin. "He didn't want to write on the board. He didn't say a word," she said. Eventually, another juror offered to write down his points, one of which concerned the quantity of blood discovered in the bedroom where the children were found.
Clancy's ex-husband, Patrick Clancy, returned home on January 24, 2023, to find their children, Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months, deceased. He also found Clancy, then 36, with self-inflicted wounds, leading to her paralysis. Devlin noted the holdout juror questioned the amount of blood, suggesting it did not align with the wounds described by experts, despite testimony from a blood expert that explained the spatter patterns.
Devlin expressed her belief that the holdout juror did not properly consider the law regarding reasonable doubt. "If you say you have doubt, then you have to follow the law. And if you don't follow the law, that's not right," Devlin stated. She added that the jury spent over 37 hours deliberating after five-and-a-half weeks of evidence.
Clancy has admitted to strangling her children but claims she was not guilty by reason of insanity, alleging she was suffering from postpartum psychosis. Devlin clarified that the jury's desired outcome was not an acquittal but a verdict of not guilty by reason of mental illness, emphasizing that "Everybody wants justice for the Clancy children. They deserve justice."
Devlin also shared that some jurors have faced threats and online harassment since speaking to the media. She hopes the case will lead to greater understanding and support for individuals with postpartum depression and postpartum psychosis, stating, "when somebody asks for help so many times... that just because they don't have the exact plan of how they want to do it shouldn't be a reason not to be taken seriously."