Mistrial in Lindsay Clancy case after mum accused of murdering her children

Although Clancy does not deny killing her three children, she pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder

The trial of Lindsay Clancy, a mother accused of strangling her three children before throwing herself from a second-floor window, has been declared a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict.

Thirty-six-year-old Clancy was charged over the deaths of her children, Cora, aged five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan, who were found dead at the family’s home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023.

The former labour and delivery nurse, who was paralysed after her fall and appeared in court in a wheelchair throughout the trial, allegedly sent her husband, Patrick Clancy, on a series of errands before the children were killed. He later returned home to discover their bodies in the basement, The Mirror reports.

Jurors deliberated for more than 38 hours but repeatedly told the court they could not agree on a verdict. After a third deadlock warning, the judge formally declared a mistrial.

“At this point, I’m going to declare that the jury is deadlocked, and I’m going to declare a mistrial,” Judge William Sullivan told the jury, before discharging them.

The sticking point of the trial focused on the mother’s mental state at the time of the killings. Clancy’s defence team argued that the former nurse was suffering from postpartum psychosis, making her not criminally responsible for her children’s deaths. Prosecutors dispute this point, alleging that she had deliberately killed the three youngsters.

Although Clancy does not deny killing her three children, she pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder. The indecisive jury heard evidence from more than 80 witnesses during the trial, observing roughly 300 exhibits. Clancy’s attorneys, while defending her, had never rejected her role in the killings, instead putting forth a defence of insanity; they argued that Clancy had hallucinations and delusions after giving birth to her youngest child.

Treatment for mental health issues, and Clancy’s decision to check herself into a psychiatric hospital just days before the deaths, were highlighted by the defence.

Countering this, prosecutors contended Clancy made a calculated decision to kill her children intentionally, alleging that she sent her husband out on errands so that he would not be home and she could carry out the killings.

Patrick, who has since remarried, told the court about Lindsay’s declining mental health following the birth of their youngest son, with the “big spiral” starting around a month before the killings.

“She started to lose a lot of weight, and she became very depressed, and she was having a really hard time,” he said. It was also revealed that Clancy had previously sought help from doctors and had been taking various medications.

Patrick added that he could recall her admitting to having suicidal thoughts. The jury had previously told Judge William Sullivan it was struggling to reach a unanimous decision before returning without a verdict for a third time.

Judge Sullivan said: “I’m going to declare a mistrial at this point,” before Clancy’s defence asked for the declaration to be temporarily stayed while it sought emergency relief from a higher court.

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