Jury Resumes Fifth Day of Deliberations in Lindsay Clancy Murder Trial

Jury deliberations in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial resumed Wednesday for a fifth day, following a judge-led questioning of jurors about the arrest of a woman who filmed them leaving the courthouse. Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, acknowledging she strangled her three children in 2023 but attributing the act to postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors contend she was aware of her actions.

The trial, which has been livestreamed, attracted significant media presence. On Tuesday, jurors reported they had not reached a unanimous verdict, prompting Judge William Sullivan to instruct them to continue deliberating, a standard directive in criminal cases.

Dawn Light, 56, of Sutton, Massachusetts, was arrested after police alleged she filmed jurors from a restricted area behind the courthouse. Light claimed she was attempting to photograph Clancy, not the jurors, and her attorney described the incident as a "misunderstanding." Light entered a not-guilty plea to a charge of intimidation of a witness, jurors, or a person furnishing information in connection with criminal proceedings, was released without bail, and was ordered to stay away from the court and participants.

Assistant District Attorney Nicole Piacentini said troopers found video of jurors in a deleted-files folder on Light’s phone and warned that such conduct threatens the "sanctity of the judicial system." Judge Sullivan reiterated the court’s order prohibiting any photography, filming, or contact with jurors during the trial.

Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, noted that the judge’s questions to jurors about the arrest were not disclosed to the public. He described the jury’s continued work as "very heartening," emphasizing their ongoing effort.

Medical testimony has highlighted divergent views on Clancy’s psychiatric condition at the time of the killings, with experts for both sides presenting conflicting assessments. If the jury cannot reach a verdict, a mistrial may be declared, leaving prosecutors to decide on a retrial, dismissal, or plea negotiations. A conviction could result in murder or manslaughter charges, while an acquittal might still lead to confinement in a mental health facility if deemed a public danger.

Clancy killed the children with exercise bands in the basement of their Massachusetts home and later jumped from a second-floor window, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Her lawyers say she heard a voice urging her to kill the children to end her own life.