Jurors in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy have been dismissed for the weekend after two days of deliberations failed to produce a unanimous verdict. The jury of nine women and three men will resume weighing the charges on Monday.
Clancy, 36, a former labor and delivery nurse, faces first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and manslaughter charges in the deaths of her children – Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan – who were strangled with exercise bands at their Duxbury, Massachusetts, home on January 24, 2023. Clancy has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Clancy sent her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, out of the house to run errands before the killings. He testified that he left at 5:12 p.m. and returned around 6:09 p.m. to find his wife lying in the snow in the backyard. After calling 911, he discovered the children in the basement, having been strangled.
Medical examiner Dr. Kimberly Springer testified that autopsies revealed abrasions and hemorrhages on the infant Callan's neck and face, consistent with strangulation by an exercise band, similar to his siblings. Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, told reporters outside the court that his client was anxious while awaiting the verdict.
The prosecution argued that the killings were intentional and premeditated, with Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague stating in closing arguments that Clancy knew her actions were wrong and chose not to conform her behavior to the law. Sprague asserted that Clancy did not view her children as individuals with rights and futures, likening their abandonment on the basement floor to discarded toys.
In contrast, the defense has maintained that Clancy suffered from postpartum psychosis and was overmedicated for mental health issues, rendering her not responsible for her actions. Medical professionals who testified stated that Clancy sustained only superficial wounds when she attempted suicide by cutting her wrists and neck before falling from a second-story window. The fall left her paralyzed from the waist down.
Clancy and her ex-husband have filed separate lawsuits against several medical providers, alleging that overmedication contributed to the worsening of her postpartum mental health conditions and the subsequent deaths of their children. The defendants in these civil suits have denied the claims.
If convicted of murder, Clancy faces a sentence of life in prison without parole. A verdict of not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility would result in her commitment to a state mental health facility.