Judge William Sullivan told the jury to return to deliberations after they said they could not reach a unanimous verdict
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NEED TO KNOW
- Jurors deciding Lindsay Clancy’s fate told Judge William Sullivan they were not able to reach a unanimous verdict after more than three days of deliberations
- Sullivan told the jury to continue deliberating despite the claim that they were deadlocked
- Clancy is charged with murder and has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility
The jury deciding Lindsay Clancy’s fate told the judge they were deadlocked but were told to go back into deliberations.
Clancy’s closely watched murder trial hinges on whether jurors bought the defense claim that she was in a state of psychosis when she fatally strangled her three children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan.
But on the fourth day of deliberations, after more than 17 hours, the jury told Judge William Sullivan that it was unable to reach a unanimous decision. Court proceedings were streamed live by the Associated Press.
After being notified by the jury, Sullivan brought the jurors into the courtroom and then asked that they continue deliberating.
Clancy is charged with first-degree murder. She does not dispute that she killed the children but has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, arguing she suffered from postpartum psychosis and overmedication.
In addition to first-degree murder, the jury is also considering charges of second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Over the course of the trial, prosecutors sought to prove that Clancy was not psychotic and that the killings were premeditated and deliberate.
During closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague said Clancy was “depressed” and that she “didn’t want to try anymore.”
“Those kids were her protective factor,” Sprague said. “Those kids were keeping her from ending her misery. So she had to remove the protective factor.”
Kevin Reddington, Clancy’s attorney, said in his closing arguments that prosecutors had “ripped the soul out” of his client.
He further argued that Clancy was failed by medical providers after she tried to get help for postpartum mental health issues.
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The children were discovered by their father, Patrick Clancy, who had first found Clancy outside their Duxbury, Mass., home after jumping out of a second-story window in an apparent suicide attempt in January 2023.
First responders, medical providers, friends and family members all testified at Clancy’s trial, which spanned weeks and attracted significant media attention.
Patrick, who has since forgiven his now-ex-wife, was one of dozens of witnesses to testify.
Clancy’s mother, sister and friends also took the stand, as did her former in-laws.
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