Hung Jury Declared in Lindsay Clancy Murder Trial

PLYMOUTH, MA — A deadlocked jury in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, who admitted to killing her three young children in 2023, prompted the judge to declare a mistrial.

The jury deliberated for more than 38 hours over whether Clancy, 36, was guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan. The jury twice told Judge William Sullivan earlier in the week that it could not reach a verdict.

On Friday, jurors sent Sullivan a note saying they were “unable to come to a unanimous decision.” Sullivan then declared the jury deadlocked and the trial a mistrial after denying a last-minute request from Clancy’s defense team for additional time to file an emergency motion.

“At this point I’m going to declare that the jury is deadlocked and I’m gonna declare a mistrial,” Sullivan said.

A mistrial does not acquit Clancy, and the charges remain pending. Prosecutors could seek a retrial, negotiate a plea agreement or dismiss the charges. Sullivan scheduled a status hearing for Sept. 29 and said a retrial, if pursued, could occur later in the fall.

The case drew national attention to postpartum mental health. Clancy’s attorneys did not dispute that she killed her children but argued she was experiencing postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness, and therefore should not be held criminally responsible.

Clancy had been hospitalized for psychiatric treatment and was discharged 19 days before the children’s deaths.

Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham argued that Clancy was responsible for the killings and “acted intentionally, rationally and swiftly.”

“This was not a woman in the throes of psychosis,” Buckingham said. “This case is about this defendant, Lindsay Clancy.”

If convicted of first-degree murder, Clancy would have faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole. A verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity would have begun the process of committing her to a mental health facility.