A woman was arrested for intimidation outside the Massachusetts courthouse where Lindsay Clancy is on trial for the murder of her three young children. The arrest of Dawn Light, 56, of Sutton, took place at 3:40 p.m. on Tuesday, just 10 minutes after the jury announced they were deadlocked and could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Massachusetts State Police announced that Light was taken into custody and charged with intimidation of a witness, jurors, or a person furnishing information in connection with criminal proceedings. It remains unclear if the charge is directly related to the Clancy trial.
Clancy, a 36-year-old former nurse, is accused of strangling her children—Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan—with exercise bands in their Duxbury home on January 24, 2023. She subsequently attempted suicide. Prosecutors allege that the killings were premeditated, while the defense argues Clancy was not criminally responsible due to postpartum psychosis and depression.
During five weeks of testimony, jurors heard conflicting accounts of Clancy's mental state. The jury informed Judge William Sullivan on Tuesday morning that they were unable to reach a consensus. The judge instructed them to continue deliberations.
Later that day, the panel, composed of nine women and three men, requested to be dismissed for the day and was scheduled to resume deliberations Wednesday at 9 a.m. In total, the jury has deliberated for approximately 23 hours over four days. They have the option to consider charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, or a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
During their deliberations, the jury has submitted one question to the court, requesting to examine pill bottles and the knife Clancy used in her suicide attempt.
Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, expressed that the prolonged deliberation time was "very heartening," suggesting the jury was working diligently. He also stated that Clancy could not endure a second trial in the event of a mistrial due to a hung jury.
If the jury remains deadlocked, the judge may eventually employ the "dynamite charge," urging them that they are best positioned to reach a verdict. However, if they still cannot reach a unanimous decision, a mistrial will be declared, and the prosecution will decide whether to retry the case. Deliberations are set to continue on Wednesday morning.