Attorney Seeks Investigation of Juror in Lindsay Clancy Trial

Lindsay Clancy’s attorney has requested a judge investigate Michael Desronvil, the lone juror who advocated for a guilty verdict in the case against the Massachusetts mother charged with the murder of her three children. The motion, filed Friday and made public Monday, alleges Desronvil may have used a cellphone during deliberations, and was untruthful on pre-trial questionnaires and when questioned by the judge. The jury declared a mistrial September 4 after failing to reach a unanimous verdict, with eleven jurors believing Clancy was experiencing postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings. Desronvil, however, maintained Clancy was aware of her actions. Clancy’s legal team has asked the court to obtain records of any calls or texts Desronvil made during deliberation times, citing a prohibition on phone use. They also seek dismissal of the criminal case, arguing the judge should have replaced Desronvil with an alternate juror after the foreperson raised concerns about his inflexibility and disregard for the legal standard of reasonable doubt.

Prosecutors have not indicated whether they will retry the case. Clancy remains hospitalized in a psychiatric facility. In a statement released through his attorney, Desronvil asserted he had “no doubts” Clancy understood her actions. The Plymouth County District Attorney’s office has not commented on the motions. The attorney for Clancy, Kevin Reddington, argued in court filings that Clancy’s constitutional right to an impartial jury was violated by the alleged misconduct.

Where they differ

• CBS News and PBS Newshour both detailed the specifics of the attorney's motion, including the request for phone records and the argument regarding the judge's handling of the holdout juror.
• The Washington Times provided a shorter report, focusing solely on the request for an investigation into the juror's conduct.
• No source disputed the core facts of the case or the attorney's actions; differences lay in the level of detail provided.

What is not yet known

• Whether prosecutors will pursue a retrial of the case remains unresolved.
• The court’s response to the motion for investigation and dismissal is pending.

Background

• Lindsay Clancy was accused of murdering her three children, Cora, Dawson, and Callan, in January 2023, and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity due to postpartum psychosis [Fact Refinery, 2026-09-11].
• The initial trial ended in a mistrial on September 4, 2026, after the jury deadlocked 11-1 in favor of a not guilty by reason of insanity verdict [Fact Refinery, 2026-09-21].
• Michael P. Desronvil was the sole holdout juror, maintaining Clancy was aware of her actions, and has faced scrutiny regarding his past legal issues and potential biases [Fact Refinery, 2026-09-18].
• Patrick Clancy, Lindsay’s ex-husband, has publicly forgiven her and testified about her declining mental health prior to the killings [Fact Refinery, 2026-09-21].

Our reading

Our reading is that Lindsay Clancy’s attorney is attempting to exploit perceived irregularities in the jury deliberation process to secure a dismissal of the case, rather than risk a second trial. The focus on the lone juror’s conduct suggests a belief that a new jury, free from this individual’s influence, might be more receptive to the defense’s argument of postpartum psychosis. The attorney’s request for phone records and the emphasis on the juror’s inflexibility indicate a strategy to portray the deliberation as unfair and prejudiced.

What to watch

• The Plymouth County District Attorney’s office’s decision regarding whether to retry the case, expected in the coming weeks [article text].
• The court’s ruling on the motion to investigate juror Desronvil and the request for his phone records, which will determine if further evidence of misconduct emerges [article text].
• Whether the judge grants the defense’s motion to dismiss the criminal case, which would effectively end the legal proceedings [article text].

Was this useful? 👍 0 👎 0

---

Read the original coverage