PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — Lindsay Clancy's trial judge declared a mistrial on September 4, 2026, after an emergency defense appeal was denied. Judge William Sullivan ended the trial after jurors sent a note for the third time indicating they could not unanimously decide whether to hold her criminally responsible for killing her three young children in 2023.
Deliberations took a turn on Thursday when the foreperson informed the judge that a lone holdout was refusing to follow the court's instructions regarding reasonable doubt. Clancy's defense argued that the judge's refusal to remove the juror undermined the trial.
Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, admitted to strangling her children in the basement of their home. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington cited postpartum psychosis as a factor, while prosecutor Jennifer Sprague contended that Clancy was aware of her actions.
Postpartum psychosis is estimated to affect 1 to 2 per 1,000 women after childbirth and is described by experts at the Cleveland Clinic as a mental health emergency that can distort a person's sense of reality. Although most individuals with postpartum psychosis do not harm their children, severe cases may lead to such actions.
David Meier, representing Clancy's former husband Patrick Clancy in a civil lawsuit regarding her mental health treatment, expressed gratitude to the court and jurors for their efforts. He stated, "The loss of Patrick's children is something from which he will never recover and from which there will never be closure."
In separate lawsuits, both Lindsay and Patrick Clancy allege that various healthcare providers failed to recognize her risk to herself and her children. The providers involved have denied these allegations.
Outside the courthouse, Marta Quijano, a trial observer, expressed her belief that Clancy was treated unfairly, stating, "I think one person failed her."
Clancy's family was escorted out of the courthouse by state police without making comments to the media. Clancy remains charged with murder and is being held at a psychiatric hospital until her criminal case is resolved.
Reddington spoke fondly of Clancy, stating, "she's like a daughter to me," and expressed his disappointment over the mistrial, saying, "She deserved an acquittal."
Prosecutor Timothy Cruz emphasized the case's focus on seeking justice for the children, stating, "This was and has always been about getting justice for those three little babies."
The judge set a hearing for September 29, during which Reddington is expected to ask Sullivan to declare Clancy not guilty, a rare legal step. The judge indicated that a mistrial would be declared but faced objections from Reddington regarding the juror's impartiality.
The defense filed an emergency appeal with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, arguing that the juror's reasoning reflected bias against individuals suffering from mental illness. The appeal seeks to require the trial judge to further question the juror about their ability to apply the law and follow court instructions.
The judge stated he would declare a mistrial, but Reddington continued to object, asserting that federal law protecting defendants was being violated. The judge ultimately declared a mistrial and thanked the jurors for their service before dismissing them.
The emergency appeal will be considered by a justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, who will assess whether the trial judge made an error in declaring a mistrial. The judge's decision will be taken under advisement without a specified timeline for a ruling.