A Massachusetts judge has declared a mistrial in the murder case against former nurse Lindsay Clancy after a jury said it could not reach a unanimous verdict over the deaths of her three children.
Judge Sullivan dismissed the jury on Friday after the panel indicated for a third time that it was deadlocked. Jurors had heard six weeks of proceedings and deliberated for more than 40 hours across seven days before concluding they could not agree on Clancy’s criminal liability.
Clancy, 36, faces three first-degree murder charges in connection with the 2023 deaths of her children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, eight months, at their Massachusetts home. She does not deny killing the children but has pleaded not guilty. Her lawyers have argued that she was experiencing postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible.
Final effort to avoid mistrial fails
Before the mistrial was declared, Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, asked the judge to remove a juror after the panel sent a note saying one member was not following instructions concerning reasonable doubt. Judge Sullivan rejected the request and instructed the jury to continue deliberating.
About an hour later, jurors again reported that they could not reach a verdict. Reddington then sought time to bring an emergency appeal to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, asking it to require further deliberations and to direct the trial judge to question the panel about the alleged holdout juror. The state’s highest court denied the request.
Reddington said outside court that he believed 11 of the 12 jurors would have reached a result favourable to Clancy. However, the positions of individual jurors and the details of their deliberations have not been made public. He said he intended to file a further motion seeking reconsideration of the mistrial.
Prosecutors to decide next steps
The mistrial does not establish guilt or innocence. Prosecutors may seek another trial, negotiate a plea agreement or take another course. Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said no decision would be made on Friday and that his office would meet to determine whether to pursue a new trial.
Cruz said prosecutors believed the evidence showed Clancy was in control of her actions when the homicides occurred. Clancy will remain on the same charges and continue to be housed at a mental health facility. A hearing has been scheduled for 29 September, when prosecutors could outline their next steps.
Source: BBC News
