The jury deciding the fate of Massachusetts mother Lindsay Clancy says it cannot reach a verdict after four days of deliberations, raising the possibility that one of the state’s most closely watched murder trials could end in a hung jury.
Jurors informed Judge William Sullivan on Tuesday that they were deadlocked. Sullivan sent them back to continue deliberating rather than immediately declaring a mistrial.
“I know that this was a long trial,” Sullivan told the jury, noting that jurors had heard from more than 80 witnesses and reviewed hundreds of exhibits.
He instructed them to keep the court’s instructions in mind and “continue your deliberations at this time.”
Neither prosecutors nor Clancy’s defense attorneys objected. Clancy reportedly showed little visible reaction as the judge sent the jury back.
Under Massachusetts law, a judge can send a deadlocked jury back to deliberate up to twice without the jurors’ consent. If they remain unable to reach a verdict, the trial could ultimately end in a mistrial.
Three Children Dead, Their Mother on Trial
Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the January 2023 deaths of her children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan.
Their father, Patrick Clancy, discovered the children at the family’s Duxbury home.
Lindsay Clancy has pleaded not guilty. Her defense has argued that she was suffering from severe mental illness, including postpartum psychosis, at the time of the killings.
The case has consequently centered not only on what happened inside the Clancy home, but on one of the most difficult questions a jury can face: whether a defendant accused of horrific acts was legally responsible for them.
The trial began July 20 and stretched across 21 days of testimony. Jurors heard from 85 witnesses, including 72 called by prosecutors, and were presented with more than 300 exhibits.
Now, after four days behind closed doors, the 12 jurors still have not found common ground.
Defense Ready for Round Two
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington has already made clear that his team is prepared to do the entire thing again if necessary.
He said Tuesday that he would “absolutely” retry the case if the jury remains hung and a mistrial is declared.
“Maybe today’s the day; we’ll see. I don’t know,” Reddington said earlier in the day.
The jury, composed of nine women and three men, has several possible verdicts before it: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, not guilty, or not guilty by reason of insanity.
There have also been signs that jurors are digging deeply into the physical evidence. On Friday, they asked to examine pill bottles and a knife introduced during the trial.
For now, however, there is no verdict.
After weeks of testimony, dozens of witnesses and hundreds of pieces of evidence, the Clancy case has reached a potentially decisive standoff: 12 jurors, five possible verdicts and, so far, no agreement.