Juror describes holdout's bizarre behavior in Lindsay Clancy murder trial

A juror on the 12-person panel that heard the case of Lindsay Clancy, accused of strangling her three children, said the sole holdout juror acted out the murders with a water bottle during deliberations, a conduct that helped lead to a mistrial.

Nick Dargie, 25, told Good Morning America that the holdout juror refused to discuss the case, spent time scrolling on his phone, and later tied an exercise band around an empty water bottle to simulate the killings. > "I was shocked. It didn’t make any sense to me," Dargie said. > "We’re not in here to play detective or it’s not a game of Clue. This is serious."

The jury spent more than 38 hours deliberating but could not reach a unanimous verdict, prompting Judge William Sullivan to declare a mistrial after three deadlocks. While most jurors eventually agreed that Clancy should be found not guilty by reason of mental illness, the holdout remained unconvinced, expressing doubt about both the prosecution’s and defense’s arguments.

Three female jurors, speaking anonymously, confirmed that the majority had voted to acquit on the grounds of lack of criminal responsibility, while the holdout insisted on a conviction despite being unable to present supporting evidence. The foreperson sent a note to the judge indicating that the holdout was not meeting the burden of reasonable doubt required of the prosecution.

Prosecutors now face the decision of whether to retry the case, with the next hearing scheduled for Sept. 29. Dargie, who is serving overseas in the military, said the 911 call recorded by Clancy’s husband after the children were found remains vivid in his memory and rejected online conspiracy theories suggesting the husband was the perpetrator.