Judge Rejects Motion to Dismiss First-Degree Murder Charges in Lindsay Clancy Case

A Massachusetts judge on Thursday refused to dismiss three first-degree murder charges against Lindsay Clancy, the mother accused of killing her three children in Duxbury. Judge William Sullivan said the prosecution had introduced both physical and circumstantial evidence that could allow a rational fact-finder to find the elements of the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

Defense lawyer Kevin Reddington, 75, argued that the case relied on speculation and asked the court where the evidence was that Clancy strangled the children with exercise bands. He also sought a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, claiming the defendant suffered extreme postpartum psychosis and heard a commanding voice.

The judge noted that the evidence presented at the six-week trial was sufficient to support the charges, and therefore the motion to drop them could not be granted. The trial had ended in a mistrial on September 4 after the jury failed to reach a unanimous decision, with most jurors favoring a not-criminally-responsible finding and one juror insisting on conviction.

Prosecutors have not yet indicated how they will proceed, and a new trial date has not been set. Clancy is scheduled to appear in court again on November 2. Reddington did not respond to a request for comment.