Lindsay Clancy trial ends in mistrial
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Lindsay Clancy listens to testimony at Plymouth Superior Court on Aug. 18. Photo: Jonathan Wiggs/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
A jury failed to reach a verdict in the trial of Lindsay Clancy on Friday in Plymouth County Superior Court, prompting the judge to declare a mistrial.
The big picture: The case has sparked fierce debate nationwide over whether Clancy was in control or in psychosis fueled by postpartum depression when she killed her three children and attempted suicide in 2023.
Catch up quick: Jurors had to determine whether Clancy was criminally responsible for killing her three children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — on Jan. 24, 2023, in the basement of their Duxbury home.
- Prosecutors say she planned the killings and faked her suicide attempt, per CBS Boston.
- Clancy's defense team says she was overmedicated and experiencing postpartum psychosis.
- After jurors twice said they were deadlocked, Judge William Sullivan asked them to deliberate "with candor" and "respect to the opinions of each other," a special set of instructions known as a "dynamite" charge.
The latest: Sullivan declared a mistrial Friday afternoon, despite the defense's last-minute request to remove a juror who has kept the jury deadlocked.
- The defense filed an emergency motion to stay the verdict, just as Sullivan was about to declare a mistrial Friday morning.
- The Supreme Judicial Court denied the request Friday afternoon.
Friction point: The ruling comes after a tense exchange between Sullivan and defense attorney Kevin Reddington.
- Reddington argued that Sullivan had not been forceful enough when repeating the special instructions to jurors on Thursday.
What they're saying: "I understood how hard everybody worked on this case," Sullivan told the jury.
- "I understood you all gave everything you could and probably more than you thought you could."
The big picture: The Clancy trial has gained national attention as spectators debate the circumstances leading up to the grizzly deaths.
- The case has also sparked discussions about postpartum depression and what parents call insufficient responses to and treatments for the condition in the U.S. health care system.
What's next: Reddington asked the judge to reconsider a not-guilty finding for insufficient evidence for a conviction.
- Clancy's due back in court Sept. 29 for a hearing on that request.
- If Sullivan denies it, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz must decide whether to try Clancy again.
- Asked by reporters about the possibility of a second trial, Reddington said, "Bring it."
Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect the next court date.
For help with postpartum depression, call or text the National Maternal Health Hotline (1-833-852-6262) or the Postpartum Support International Helpline (1-800-944-4773). If you or someone else you know is having suicidal thoughts, call 988.