Lindsay Clancy's defence attorney has spoken out forcefully following the mistrial declared in her triple-murder trial, revealing that 11 of the 12 jurors had reportedly voted to acquit her before a single juror's disagreement prevented a unanimous verdict.
The mistrial
Clancy, 36, faced trial over the January 2023 deaths of her three children, five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan, at the family's Duxbury, Massachusetts home. She has never denied killing her children, but pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, with her defence arguing she was experiencing severe postpartum psychosis and overmedication at the time.
After more than 36 hours of deliberation across seven days, the jury told Judge William Sullivan it was with a "heavy heart" that they couldn't reach a unanimous decision. Sullivan declared a mistrial, later telling jurors he understood how difficult the case had been and thanking them for their effort throughout.
What Clancy's attorney said
Speaking to reporters outside Plymouth Superior Court, defence attorney Kevin Reddington placed direct blame on the lone holdout juror, saying his client had been "robbed" of a full acquittal and adding that he hoped the juror could "sleep at night." He described the juror as having stolen seven weeks of the other jurors' lives for what he called an unknown personal agenda, calling the remaining eleven jurors attentive and dedicated throughout the trial.
Reddington had previously filed emergency motions asking for the juror to be removed, alleging bias against the concept of severe mental illness playing a role in the case, but Judge Sullivan declined, stating the court could not interfere with the jury's internal deliberations or take sides between one juror and the other eleven.
Reddington also argued that retrying Clancy would be a mistake for prosecutors, predicting they would ultimately lose a second trial, and described her situation overall as a tragedy that had left him personally affected.
What happens next
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not yet said whether his office will pursue a retrial, seek a plea deal, or drop the case entirely. Clancy remains held at Tewksbury State Hospital ahead of a status hearing scheduled for 29 September.
