PLYMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial in Lindsay Clancy’s case after the state’s highest court denied the defense’s appeal in an eventful day in Plymouth court on Friday.
After being deadlocked for three days, the jury reentered the courtroom around 11:15 a.m. They had begun deliberations around 9 a.m. and said they were unable to reach a unanimous decision.
Clancy’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked Sullivan for a justice on the state’s highest court to intervene after Sullivan initially called for a mistrial Friday afternoon. Sullivan allowed Reddington one hour to do so. After an emergency hearing, the SJC denied the defense’s filing.
— Appeal filed by defense to prevent mistrial —
Before deliberations began Friday, Reddington and Sullivan exchanged words over Reddington’s request to have a juror removed.
Reddington accused Sullivan of being “soft” in reiterating to the jury what reasonable doubt was, to which Sullivan responded, “What do you want? A brass band?”
— Clancy’s Defense Attorney Kevin Reddington speaks after mistrial declared —
Following the trial, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz addressed the media, saying there will be no answer as of Friday about a retrial.
“I do know that one of the questions that are out here right now regarding retrials,” Cruz said. “I will let you know that there will be no decisions made today regarding that. I’m going to be meeting with our team, and we will address this case further at the appropriate time in the context of an official court proceeding.”
— Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz speaks after mistrial declared —
Clancy, 36, did not deny strangling her children in the basement of their Duxbury home in 2023. Reddington argued that postpartum psychosis led to her actions. The prosecution argued that she knew what she was doing when she killed Cora, Dawson, and Callan Clancy, ages 5, 3, and 8 months.
In 2023, Clancy strangled the children with exercise bands in their basement, then jumped from a second-floor window. She was paralyzed from the waist down from the jump. Her lawyers said she heard a voice telling her to kill the children so she could end her own life.
The jury was tasked with deciding whether Clancy could be criminally charged in the deaths of her three children after hearing testimony from dozens of witnesses, including Clancy’s ex-husband Patrick Clancy.
“Patrick Clancy is grateful to the Court and to the jurors for their hard work, their commitment, and their perseverance. The loss of Patrick’s children is something from which he will never recover and from which there will never be closure. The prospect of reliving this tragedy through another trial is extraordinarily painful — for Patrick, for his family, and for all us,” said David Meier, attorney for Patrick Clancy.
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