The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy appeared to be heading toward a potential mistrial after a deadlocked jury finished a sixth day of deliberations without reaching a verdict. Massachusetts Superior Court Judge William Sullivan declined a defense request to remove a juror following a note from the panel’s foreperson stating that a single juror would not follow the court’s instructions regarding reasonable doubt. The panel of nine women and three men had previously submitted two deadlock notices to the court.
Judge Refuses Defense Request to Dismiss Juror in Deadlocked Clancy Trial
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington addressed the court after the jury left, arguing that the lone holdout refused to listen to the law on reasonable doubt. Reddington called for the juror’s removal and replacement with an alternate, contending that soft instructions from the bench were insufficient. Prosecutor Jennifer Sprague countered that there was no way to determine the nature of the internal deliberations and maintained that the judge’s response was appropriate.
Judge William Sullivan rejected the request to dismiss the juror, noting that removing a deliberating juror is a sensitive undertaking. I don’t feel that it is proper for me to side with one side or the other of the deliberations. I don’t feel it’s appropriate for me to say I agree with one juror or the 11,
Sullivan stated. The judge noted that each juror was brought in individually and asked whether they could follow instructions, and each confirmed they could.
Clancy Joins Sidebar as Defense Prepares for Possible Outcomes
During the legal arguments, Lindsay Clancy was wheeled to the front of the courtroom to join a sidebar conversation with the judge for the first time in the trial. Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse who is paralyzed from the waist down following a suicide attempt, appeared upset during the discussion before returning to the defense table with a stoic expression. Reddington later told reporters that his client has a right to know what is going on.
Following the note, William Sullivan brought in each juror in private, reread instructions on reasonable doubt, and sent them back to deliberate further. After about 30 additional minutes of deliberations, the jury was dismissed for the day shortly after 4 p.m. and scheduled to return Friday. Reddington indicated that the judge would hold an inquiry regarding the holdout juror Friday morning.
Background and Potential Stakes of the Case
Both sides in the high-profile Lindsay Clancy trial agree that she strangled her three children—Cora, Dawson, and Callan, ages 5, 3, and 8 months—in the basement of their Massachusetts home in January 2023 before attempting to take her own life. The defense argues that Clancy suffered from severe postpartum psychosis and was overmedicated and misdiagnosed. Prosecutors contend that she intentionally planned the killings ahead of time by sending her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, out on errands.
If the jury ultimately cannot agree on a verdict and returns a third deadlock note, the judge will likely declare a mistrial. Should a mistrial be declared, prosecutors would have to decide whether to try Clancy a second time, drop the charges, or pursue a plea deal. If convicted of first-degree murder, Clancy faces a mandatory life sentence, though the jury may also consider second-degree murder, manslaughter, or a verdict of not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility.
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