Judge officially declares mistrial in Lindsay Clancy case after jury fail to come to decision
Lindsay Clancy's triple murder trial has reached a dramatic conclusion today after Judge William Sullivan officially called a mistrial, after a last-minute appeal from her defence was denied.
It's been a tense week of deliberations in the high-profile trial, coming off the back of five weeks of testimony from 85 witnesses and over 300 exhibits.
Clancy does not dispute that she killed her three children, Callan, eight months, Cora, five, and Dawson, three, on 24 January 2023, but denies murder, with her defence arguing she can't be held criminally responsible for their deaths as she was allegedly suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time.
The prosecution, however, argued the former labour and delivery nurse acted 'intentionally, rationally and swiftly'.
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Ultimately, the jury has remained deadlocked for a third and final time as they entered into a seventh day of deliberations today (4 September). In a note to the judge, they wrote: "It is with a heavy heart that we report we are unable to come to a unanimous decision and will not be able to."
In response, Judge William Sullivan announced his intention to declare a mistrial, as majority decisions are not allowed in the state of Massachusetts. This is different to the UK, where a judge can allow the jury to reach a majority verdict if they can't unanimously agree.
But in a dramatic twist, Clancy's attorney Kevin Reddington lodged a last-minute request to hold off on the formal declaration so he could appeal the holdout juror to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. The request was granted, and he was given one hour to file.
Tensions soared in the weeks-long trial yesterday after a note was passed to the judge by the jury forewoman, which suggested the jury was stuck at 11-1.
Reddington had accused the apparent holdout juror of refusing to apply the law and had asked the judge to remove or further question them, a request which was denied.
Quizzed outside Plymouth County courtroom earlier today, via Court TV, Reddington was asked whether he wanted a new juror or a mistrial.
"I don't want a mistrial," he told reporters. "Why would I want a mistrial?"
In the emergency filing today, Clancy's defence accused the juror of reflecting a 'bias against those who suffer from debilitating mental illness' and refusing to follow the court’s instructions on reasonable doubt.
“Intervention is necessary in this case to avoid an avoidable mistrial of a case that is so time and labour-intensive and that has captured so much public attention,” the seven-page filing read in part.
Addressing the jury as he officially discharged them, Judge Sullivan thanked them 'personally' for their 'incredible commitment and dedication'.
Full timeline of Lindsay Clancy's high-profile case
May 2022
Lindsay gives birth to her third child, Callan.
She’s open about her postpartum struggles with her other two kids on social media. Six weeks after Callan’s birth, she posts that she’s feeling ‘dialed in’ while focusing on exercise, nutrition, and mindset, and ‘it has made all the difference’.
September 2022
As the end of her maternity leave nears, Lindsay, who works as a labour and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, starts to experience anxiety about returning to work.
She visits two different psychiatrists and receives a diagnosis of generalised anxiety disorder.
Lindsay is prescribed several different psychiatric medications.
October 2022
According to court docs, she writes in a note on her phone: “I think I sort of resent my other children because they prevent me from treating Cal like my first baby. And I know that’s not fair to them. I know that. I was feeling so depressed last evening when Cora and Dawson came home from school, I know it runs off on them, so we had a pretty rough evening, I want to feel love and connection with all my kids.”
December 2022
Lindsay undergoes an evaluation at the Women and Infants Hospital Centre for Women’s Behavioural Health. She is not diagnosed with postpartum depression, prosecutors say.
Lindsay’s husband Patrick tells police she is having suicidal thoughts and thoughts of harming their children, according to his testimony in court.
1-5 January, 2023
Lindsay admits herself to McLean Hospital for psychiatric treatment. She is discharged after five days as clinicians do not believe she poses an imminent danger to herself or others, prosecutors say.
22 January, 2023
Lindsay, Patrick, Cora and Dawson have dinner at family friend Kyle Carney’s home. Kyle later tells police that Lindsay ‘seemed fairly normal’.
23 January, 2023
According to prosecutors, Lindsay pens a note on her phone which says she has ‘a touch of postpartum anxiety’ about going back to work.
24 January, 2023
Prosecutors allege the following took place this day:
Morning: Lindsay takes Cora to a scheduled pediatrician appointment. After returning home, they play in the snow with Dawson. She sends photos of the kids to Patrick and her mom.
4:02pm: Lindsay searches for ‘kids Miralax’ (a laxative) on her phone, and 11 minutes later looks up ‘take out 3v’, referring to restaurant ThreeV in Plymouth. She uses Apple Maps to calculate how long it would take to drive from the family’s home to ThreeV.
4:47pm: Lindsay rings a CVS in Kingston to ask if they have any Miralax in stock. A manager tells her they don’t, but they do have similar medications.
The manager later tells authorities that she did not slur her words or sound impaired during the call.
4:35pm: Lindsay texts Patrick, who is working from home: “Any chance you want to do takeout from 3V … I didn’t cook anything … It’s been a long day.”
Patrick says yes, and Lindsay asks him to ‘check the menu when you can’.
5:10pm: Lindsay calls ThreeV to place the order.
5:15pm: Lindsay allegedly texts Patrick: “Pedialax liquid stool softener.” He then leaves to pick up the medication.
5:33pm: When Patrick arrives at CVS, he rings Lindsay, but she doesn’t pick up. She rings back one minute later and confirms the medication.
5:54pm: Patrick gets to ThreeV, pays for the food and leaves.
6:09pm: Patrick returns home. “The first thing he noticed was the silence,” prosecutors say. “He did not see or hear the defendant or the children.”
Patrick calls for his wife but gets no response. He discovers their second-floor bedroom is locked. Patrick eventually manages to get in the room but sees blood on the floor. He runs outside and finds Lindsay lying on the ground, according to prosecutors.
6:11pm: Prosecutors say that Patrick rings 911 and Lindsay is saying: “I tried to kill myself.”
He is then said to ask Lindsay: “Where are the kids?” She responds: “In the basement.”
While on the call, Patrick goes down to the basement and is heard ‘screaming in agony’,
Cora and Callan are discovered on the floor of the den. Dawson is found in his dad’s home office.
When officers arrive at the scene, Patrick alleges: “She killed the kids.”
Lindsay is taken to hospital, where she is treated for injuries that leave her paralysed below the waist. The three children are also rushed to hospital.
7:28pm: Cora and Dawson are pronounced dead. Callan is medically flown to another children’s hospital.
25 January, 2023
Police issue Lindsay an arrest warrant, charging her with two counts of murder, three counts of strangulation or suffocation, and three counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
27 January, 2023
Callan is pronounced dead at 11.18am.
According to Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Sprague, Lindsay later wakes up and uses a whiteboard to ask: “Do I need an attorney?”
6 February, 2023
While in the presence of a psychologist hired by her lawyer, Lindsay calls Patrick and tells him she had a ‘moment of psychosis’ and heard ‘a man’s voice telling her to kill the kids and kill herself’ after he left on January 24.
7 February, 2023
On the day of her arraignment, Lindsay’s attorney says that she’s still suicidal. She pleads not guilty to three counts of murder.
October 2024
Patrick asks the public to forgive Lindsay, telling The New Yorker: “I wasn’t married to a monster - I was married to someone who got sick.”
January 2026
Lindsay and Patrick file a civil lawsuit, accusing medical providers of not properly diagnosing, treating and monitoring her for a ‘severe postpartum psychiatric condition’.
9 July, 2026
The Plymouth County District Attorney's Office says the three counts of strangulation would be subsumed into the murder charges.
27 July, 2026
Lindsay’s murder trial begins.
4 September 2026
Judge states his intention to declare a mistrial as the jury fails to reach a verdict. Lindsay's defence team lodge a last-minute appeal over a holdout juror who they accuse of being 'bias' and not following the court's instructions on reasonable doubt.
Chloe Jackson