Clancy Murder Trial Jury Deadlocked After Six Days; Judge Refuses to Remove Holdout Juror

The jury in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial left Thursday without a verdict after six days of deliberations, with the jury foreperson reporting that one juror refuses to follow the judge’s instructions on reasonable doubt. Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, is accused of strangling her three children in January 2023. Her defense claims postpartum psychosis drove her actions; prosecutors say she knew what she was doing. The deadlock raises the possibility of a mistrial.

What happened in the courtroom Thursday

Tensions erupted during a sidebar discussion after 3 p.m. Thursday when the jury foreperson sent a note saying one juror “refuses to listen to the law.” Defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked Judge William Sullivan to remove that juror, claiming they had “spurned the instructions” of the court. Reddington was visibly animated, waving his hands and pushing Clancy’s wheelchair to the bench to join the conversation. The judge ultimately refused the request to remove the juror.

The judge’s response and jury instructions

Judge Sullivan individually questioned each of the 12 jurors at the bench, with each standing directly in front of Clancy. He then reminded all jurors in open court: “You are required to follow my instructions on the law as I gave them to you.” He reread the definition of reasonable doubt. This was the second time the jury had reported being deadlocked, after 30 hours of deliberations spanning five days. On Wednesday, the judge had already read them a Tuey-Rodriguez instruction, urging them to continue working toward a verdict.

What a mistrial would mean

If the jury remains deadlocked when it returns Friday at 9 a.m., Judge Sullivan could declare a mistrial. If that happens, the defense will likely seek bail so Clancy does not remain incarcerated pending the prosecution’s decision on whether to retry her. The case has generated intense public interest, with the livestreamed trial raising awareness about postpartum mental health nationwide.

The charges and defense strategy

Clancy does not deny strangling her children, Cora (5), Dawson (3), and Callan (8 months), in the basement of their Duxbury home on January 24, 2023, before attempting to take her own life. She is charged with first-degree murder in their deaths. Her attorney argues that postpartum psychosis led to her actions and that she should not be held criminally liable. Prosecutors contend she knew what she was doing when she killed her children. The jury must decide whether she is criminally responsible.

Final Thoughts

With the jury deadlocked after six days and the judge refusing to remove the holdout juror, a mistrial appears increasingly likely. The case will resume Friday at 9 a.m., but if jurors cannot reach agreement, Clancy may face a retrial or release pending prosecution’s next move.

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