Jury in Lindsay Clancy murder trial reports deadlock, judge orders further deliberations

A jury in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial informed Judge William Sullivan that it was unable to reach a unanimous decision after four days of deliberation. The judge read the jury’s note aloud and instructed the twelve jurors to continue deliberating, noting that a further deadlock could lead to a mistrial.

Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder for the deaths of her children in January 2023. Her defense maintains she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and therefore lacks criminal responsibility. Prosecutors and the defense have presented extensive testimony, including over 70 witnesses for the state and psychiatric experts for the defense.

Under Massachusetts law, the judge may issue a “dynamite charge” – formally known as the Tuey-Rodriguez or Allen charge – to encourage jurors to reconsider their positions. Sullivan has not yet given that instruction but could do so if the jury remains deadlocked. Should the impasse persist, the judge can declare a mistrial, allowing prosecutors to retry the case with a new jury or consider other options such as a plea agreement.

Legal analyst Elyse Hershon explained that a jury may receive multiple notes indicating an inability to agree before a mistrial is declared, and that it is unclear whether the deadlock concerns all charges or only some of them.