Eleven of 12 jurors were ready to clear Lindsay Clancy of criminal responsibility before they deadlocked and a mistrial was declared, according to reporting adapted from the Associated Press via Headline USA. In a new motion, defense attorney Kevin Reddington asked Judge William Sullivan to acquit Clancy by reason of insanity, a ruling that would prevent a second trial.
The defense motion
Reddington argued prosecutors lack sufficient evidence under Massachusetts law and that the court should enter a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity. He wrote that none of the psychiatric experts—whether called by the prosecution or defense—disputed that Clancy had a mental illness: “The testimony bears on which illness she had, not on whether she had one,” according to the filing described by the outlet.
Neither side disputed that Clancy strangled her three children—5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan—in the family’s home in 2023 before attempting to take her own life, the reporting noted. The defense has maintained she was a loving mother in the grip of postpartum psychosis.
What prosecutors argued
Prosecutors argued Clancy knew what she was doing, pointing to her actions in the days and hours beforehand—such as driving, planning a child’s birthday party, and bringing her daughter to a medical appointment—as evidence she was of sound mind, per the report. Reddington countered: “Competence at routine tasks…during a crisis which every witness agreed was acute, is not proof of criminal responsibility beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Under Massachusetts law, prosecutors had to prove either that Clancy did not have a mental disease or defect, or that she retained the substantial capacity to appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions or conform her conduct to the law. Reddington argued prosecutors proved neither.
What’s next
Reddington asked the judge to consider the motion at a court conference scheduled for Sept. 29, according to the report. Prosecutors have not said whether they will seek a retrial; Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz did not respond to a phone message on Thursday seeking comment, the outlet reported.
The judge acknowledged during deliberations that the proceedings were emotionally and physically exhausting for all involved, the reporting said. Testimony included a 911 call by the children’s father and autopsy photographs; Clancy sobbed openly at times. She remains paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-story window and is expected to stay at a psychiatric hospital until the case is resolved, according to the report.
Reporting adapted from the Associated Press via Headline USA.
