A mistrial has been declared in the case of Lindsay Clancy, the mother accused of murdering her three young children, after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision. The announcement was made by Judge William Sullivan in Plymouth, Massachusetts, after the jury deliberated for over 37 hours across five weeks of evidence.
This marks the second time in two days that the jury informed the judge of their inability to reach a consensus. A note sent Friday morning stated, "It is with a heavy heart that we are unable to come to a unanimous decision and will not be able to." On Thursday, it had emerged that 11 of the 12 jurors agreed on a verdict, but one holdout juror refused to align with the majority.
Under the law, a unanimous decision is required for a verdict. The inability to achieve this forces a judge to declare a mistrial. For Clancy, this means the prosecution has the opportunity to pursue a retrial, which would not violate her Fifth Amendment right against double jeopardy as she has not been found innocent or guilty.
Clancy is accused of strangling her children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan, in January 2023. She allegedly then attempted to commit suicide, which left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Prosecutors have maintained that the killings were cold-blooded murder.
Outside the courthouse, Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz faced heckling from protesters as he addressed the media. One woman, standing behind him, shouted, "You only cared when the kids were dead – why didn't you care about the mother?" Other protesters joined in, chanting "Amen" and calling the prosecution corrupt.
When questioned about the insensitivity of the prosecution's case, Cruz responded, "Insensitive is ignoring those facts, we have an obligation to stand up for those people and seek justice." He declined to comment on whether he would seek a retrial, stating that the decision had not yet been made.
Prosecutors may also consider asking for the verdict to be decided by a judge rather than a jury in a potential retrial. Clancy is expected to remain institutionalized while the prosecution determines its next steps. The trial would have to start over from jury selection if a second trial proceeds.