The jury in the trial of Lindsay Clancy was dismissed for the day on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, after being unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the fourth day of deliberations. The panel, composed of nine women and three men, has deliberated for about 23 hours to determine Clancy's guilt for the murders of her three children.
Earlier in the day, the jury informed Judge William Sullivan that they could not reach a unanimous decision. Sullivan acknowledged the length of the trial, which included over 80 witnesses and more than 300 exhibits, but instructed them to continue their deliberations. "I brought you back out because I know that this was a long trial, alright. I know that there were over 80 witnesses, there were over 300 exhibits, but because of that I'm going to ask you to go back out, keeping in mind all of the instructions that I gave you, to go out and to continue your deliberations," the judge stated.
At the end of the day, the jury requested to be excused until the following morning, which the judge granted. "My understanding is that you request to be excused until tomorrow at 9 o'clock, so I'm going to excuse you until then," Sullivan said. He cautioned them, "You've come this far; do not read anything, don't listen to anything, don't talk about this case."
Clancy, 36, is accused of murdering her children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan, at her home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in 2023. She has admitted to killing her children but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, attributing her actions to postpartum psychosis, which she claims was a result of overmedication. Prosecutors argued during the five-week trial that the killings were intentional and premeditated, not the result of a loss of control.
The jury must unanimously decide whether Clancy is guilty of murder, manslaughter, or not criminally responsible for her actions. If a unanimous verdict cannot be reached, the judge may eventually declare a mistrial. The jury has not been sequestered during their deliberations.
Lindsay Clancy
Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, expressed optimism regarding the jury's request to be dismissed for the day. "The fact that they have not said that they're done is very, very heartening; obviously, they're working very hard," he told reporters. "It's obviously very encouraging. I think that they're showing that they're more than willing to keep working at it."
During the trial, a former colleague of Clancy's, labor and delivery nurse Margaret Hamp, testified in her defense. Hamp, who worked with Clancy for seven years at Massachusetts General Hospital, described Clancy as "compassionate" and "really good at being a nurse." Hamp also testified that she and Clancy had previously discussed the case of Andrea Yates, a mother who drowned her five children in 2001 and was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Clancy had reportedly asked Hamp, "How could a mother hurt her children?"
The jury was told they could not reach a unanimous verdict on Tuesday.
