A judge in Massachusetts has indicated a mistrial in the case of Lindsay Clancy, accused of strangling her three children, after the jury deadlocked for a third time following over 36 hours of deliberation. Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan initially moved to declare a mistrial, but the defense secured a temporary delay to appeal to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, arguing that one juror is biased and refusing to apply the legal standard of reasonable doubt. Defense attorneys claim the juror’s position is intractable regardless of evidence, and requested the court question the juror or remove them from deliberations.
Prosecutors argued Clancy “coldly and efficiently executed” her children, while the defense maintains she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings and attempted suicide. Jurors were instructed on reasonable doubt multiple times, but the defense alleges the holdout juror is disregarding those instructions. Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt of the Supreme Judicial Court is currently reviewing the defense’s appeal and has taken the matter under advisement, with no timeline for a decision.
The jury had twice previously reported a deadlock, and the judge urged them to continue deliberating. The jury consists of nine women and three men. If the mistrial is finalized, the prosecution will decide whether to retry Clancy or pursue a plea agreement. She pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children, ages five, three, and eight months, in January 2023. The defense has stated it is prepared to defend Clancy in a second trial if necessary.
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