Judge Declares Mistrial in Lindsay Clancy Murder Case After Hung Jury

PLYMOUTH, Mass. – A Massachusetts judge declared a mistrial Friday in the high-profile murder case of Lindsay Clancy, the Duxbury mother accused of killing her three young children, after jurors said they were hopelessly deadlocked following seven days of deliberations .

Judge William Sullivan made the ruling after the 12-member jury reported for a third time that they could not reach a unanimous verdict . The decision came shortly after the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied an emergency appeal from Clancy's defense team, which had asked the court to intervene and either remove a holdout juror or order the judge to question him further .

Jury Deadlocked at 11-1

The jury – consisting of nine women and three men – had been deliberating since June 16 . According to a note sent by the foreperson, the panel was split 11-1 in favor of acquittal, with one juror refusing to apply the judge's instructions on reasonable doubt .

"That one juror, as indicated, has acknowledged doubt but will not listen to the judge's instruction," defense attorney Kevin Reddington told reporters Thursday . "There's a person who has doubt but will not listen to the judge's instruction ."

Judge Sullivan declined to remove the juror, stating there was no evidence the individual had refused to deliberate in good faith .

The Case Against Clancy

Clancy, 36, a former labor and delivery nurse, is accused of strangling her three children – 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan – with exercise bands in the basement of their Duxbury home on January 24, 2023 . She then attempted to take her own life by jumping out a second-story window, leaving her partially paralyzed .

Her defense argued she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible for her actions . Prosecutors contended she acted with deliberate premeditation .

Reactions and Next Steps

Speaking outside the courthouse, Reddington expressed frustration with the outcome, suggesting his client was "robbed" by a single holdout juror . "They know they were robbed by one man, for whatever his agenda was, who stole seven weeks of the life of these other jurors that were so attentive, so beautiful, so wonderful," Reddington said .

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said prosecutors would take time to evaluate their next steps . "There will be no decisions made today regarding that," Cruz told reporters . "I'm going to be meeting with our team, and we will address this case further at the appropriate time ."

A status hearing has been scheduled for September 29, when the court will determine whether a retrial will proceed . Clancy remains hospitalized in a psychiatric facility . Her defense has indicated they may file a motion asking Judge Sullivan to review the evidence and enter a finding of not guilty, which would bypass the need for a second trial .