The jury in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial has reached an impasse for the second time, bringing the possibility of a mistrial into sharp focus. After nearly five days of deliberations, the panel—composed of nine women and three men—sent a note to Judge William Sullivan on Wednesday afternoon, indicating they could not reach a unanimous decision. This followed a similar deadlock notice delivered Tuesday morning.
Judge's Final Push for a Verdict
Under Massachusetts rules, a judge can send a jury back to deliberate only twice before declaring a mistrial, unless the jurors agree to continue. After the second deadlock note, Judge Sullivan issued what are known as Tuey-Rodriguez instructions, a standard legal directive urging jurors to give deliberations one final chance and emphasizing that it is “desirable” to reach a verdict. If the jury returns a third deadlock notice, Sullivan is expected to declare a mistrial.
Defense Ready for Retrial
Outside the Plymouth, Massachusetts, courthouse, defense attorney Kevin Reddington told reporters on Thursday morning that he is prepared to proceed with a second trial as early as next week if a mistrial is declared. Prosecutors have not yet indicated whether they would be ready for a new trial that soon or whether they would choose to retry the case at all.
The Charges and the Defense
The jury must determine whether Clancy is criminally responsible for the deaths of her three children—Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months—on January 24, 2023. On that day, Clancy allegedly killed the children before throwing herself from a bedroom window in a suicide attempt that left her paralyzed and reliant on a wheelchair.
Reddington has argued that Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time, acting on auditory hallucinations that commanded her to carry out the killings. Prosecutors, however, have rejected the claim that she was in a psychotic state, asserting instead that she planned the attacks in advance, even sending her then-husband on errands to create the opportunity.
Possible Outcomes
The prosecution has sought a first-degree murder conviction, which would carry a life sentence. However, the jury also has the option to convict Clancy of lesser charges, such as second-degree murder or manslaughter, or to find her not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility.
