The jury weighing murder charges against Lindsay Clancy remains deadlocked, and a judge has put a mistrial declaration on hold to give the defense time to seek removal of a single holdout juror.
Judge William Sullivan received word Friday that the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict for the third time, following 36 hours of deliberation spread over seven days. According to multiple news reports, 11 jurors have reportedly settled on a not guilty verdict, while one male juror has not agreed.
The Associated Press reported that the jury’s foreperson told the judge Thursday that a single juror would not follow the court’s instructions regarding reasonable doubt. That disclosure, delivered in a note to the judge, offered the first real indication of what may be dividing the jury after days of deliberation.
Clancy is accused of killing her three young children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan — in 2023. Prosecutors argued the killings were premeditated and that Clancy understood right from wrong at the time. Her defense team has not disputed that she killed the children, but has argued she should not be held criminally responsible because of severe mental illness stemming from postpartum depression, overmedication and bipolar disorder.
A guilty verdict would carry a sentence of life in prison without parole. A finding of not guilty by reason of mental illness would result in Clancy being sent to a mental health facility, from which she could eventually be released if determined to be cured.
Judge Sullivan issued a one-hour stay on declaring a mistrial to allow the defense to pursue a motion to dismiss the holdout juror. That pause could extend further, as the judge indicated he may hear arguments on the motion over the weekend or into next week.
