Jury Remains Deadlocked in Lindsay Clancy Murder Trial, Judge Issues Further Instructions
A Plymouth Superior Court jury has again reported an inability to reach a unanimous verdict in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, prompting Judge William Sullivan to give a Tuey-Rodriguez charge and send jurors back to deliberations.
Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial informed Judge William Sullivan on Wednesday that they still could not agree on a verdict, leading the judge to issue a Tuey-Rodriguez instruction and order continued deliberations. The case concerns the January 2023 deaths of Clancy’s three children, Cora, Dawson and Callan, for which the mother faces three counts of murder.
Sullivan reminded everyone present of a court order and relevant statutes governing the conduct of jurors, witnesses and attorneys, emphasizing that the order would be enforced. The warning followed the recent arrest of a woman charged with intimidating a witness or juror in connection with the proceedings.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington said jurors were questioned about the incident and that no issues arose with the panel. He also noted that attorneys were called to a sidebar before jurors resumed deliberations.
The jury, composed of nine women and three men, previously sent a note stating, “After many hours of deliberation we are unable to come to a unanimous decision.” Rather than declare a mistrial, Sullivan instructed the jurors to keep deliberating, acknowledging the trial’s complexity, which involved testimony from more than 80 witnesses and over 300 exhibits.
Jurors are considering five possible outcomes: first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, not guilty, or not criminally responsible by reason of mental illness. Prosecutors argue Clancy knowingly killed her children during a failed suicide attempt, while the defense maintains she was suffering from severe, untreated postpartum psychosis and acted under uncontrollable psychotic symptoms.
Reddington criticized District Attorney Timothy Cruz for pursuing first-degree murder charges, suggesting the charges should have been reduced to second degree. The jury has submitted only two communications to the court so far—a question about a knife and pill bottles referenced during the trial, and the note indicating a deadlock.