Mistrial declared in Lindsay Clancy murder case, after jury deadlocks
✓"At this point, I'm going to declare that the jury is deadlocked, and I'm going to declare a mistrial," Judge Sullivan told the jury on Friday, dismissing them after weeks of testimony, nearly a week mulling Clancy's fate and the panel signalling three times that they were deadlocked.
The deadlock - known as a hung jury - does not mean prosecutors have proven their case, nor does it mean the defendant is not guilty.
A hearing was scheduled for 29 September, where prosecutors could outline their next steps in the case.
Meanwhile, the 36-year-old former nurse will remain held on the same murder charges and maintain staying in the mental health facility where she is housed now.
Prosecutors could decide from a host of options on what happens next, including holding another trial or coming to a plea agreement with Clancy over the strangulation of her children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, eight months - in their Massachusetts home.
After killing the children, Clancy cut herself with a knife and jumped from a second-story window in an attempt to take her own life, which has left her paralysed.
Clancy does not deny killing the children in 2023 but pleaded not guilty to the three first-degree murder charges, with her lawyers arguing she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible.
The mistrial came after six weeks of court proceedings and after jurors deliberated for more than 40 hours over seven days.
"There will be no decisions made today," Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said on Friday on what could happen next in the case.
He said he would meet with the rest of their legal team to decide whether they will pursue a new trial.
"The facts are Lindsay Clancy killed her three children and the evidence suggested to us that she was in control of her actions when she committed those homicides," he said.
Outside the court on Friday, Reddington said he believed 11 of the 12 jurors would have delivered a verdict that favoured Clancy, had it not been for the one holdout.
But it remains unclear what position any member of the jury took or what talks looked like in the deliberation room.
For weeks the case gripped the country and sparked debate over the topic of postpartum psychosis. Many followed along with livestreams of the trial, as family members and experts testified. Each day, more than 200 members of the media crowded the court and groups of supporters in varying sizes often gathered outside.
The widespread attention even spurred comments on Friday from US President Donald Trump, who called the case a "horrible tragedy".
"She did a horrible, horrible thing. Can't be worse," he said at the White House. "I assume there's going to be another trial."
"But you'll find out what the price to pay is," Trump added. "There'll be a price."
If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org.
In the UK a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · The Hill ↗
The mistrial now puts the murder case - and Clancy's future - in limbo as to whether she will be held criminally liable in the deaths of her three kids
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
"At this point, I'm going to declare that the jury is deadlocked, and I'm going to declare a mistrial," Judge Sullivan told the jury on Friday, dismissing them after weeks of testimony, nearly a week mulling Clancy's fate and the panel signalling three times that they were deadlocked.
The deadlock - known as a hung jury - does not mean prosecutors have proven their case, nor does it mean the defendant is not guilty.
A hearing was scheduled for 29 September, where prosecutors could outline their next steps in the case.
Meanwhile, the 36-year-old former nurse will remain held on the same murder charges and maintain staying in the mental health facility where she is housed now.
Prosecutors could decide from a host of options on what happens next, including holding another trial or coming to a plea agreement with Clancy over the strangulation of her children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, eight months - in their Massachusetts home.
After killing the children, Clancy cut herself with a knife and jumped from a second-story window in an attempt to take her own life, which has left her paralysed.
Clancy does not deny killing the children in 2023 but pleaded not guilty to the three first-degree murder charges, with her lawyers arguing she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible.
The mistrial came after six weeks of court proceedings and after jurors deliberated for more than 40 hours over seven days.
"There will be no decisions made today," Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said on Friday on what could happen next in the case.
He said he would meet with the rest of their legal team to decide whether they will pursue a new trial.
"The facts are Lindsay Clancy killed her three children and the evidence suggested to us that she was in control of her actions when she committed those homicides," he said.
Outside the court on Friday, Reddington said he believed 11 of the 12 jurors would have delivered a verdict that favoured Clancy, had it not been for the one holdout.
But it remains unclear what position any member of the jury took or what talks looked like in the deliberation room.
For weeks the case gripped the country and sparked debate over the topic of postpartum psychosis. Many followed along with livestreams of the trial, as family members and experts testified. Each day, more than 200 members of the media crowded the court and groups of supporters in varying sizes often gathered outside.
The widespread attention even spurred comments on Friday from US President Donald Trump, who called the case a "horrible tragedy".
"She did a horrible, horrible thing. Can't be worse," he said at the White House. "I assume there's going to be another trial."
"But you'll find out what the price to pay is," Trump added. "There'll be a price."
If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org.
In the UK a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · The Hill ↗
"At this point, I'm going to declare that the jury is deadlocked, and I'm going to declare a mistrial," Judge Sullivan told the jury on Friday, dismissing them after weeks of testimony, nearly a week mulling Clancy's fate and the panel signalling three times that they were deadlocked.
The deadlock - known as a hung jury - does not mean prosecutors have proven their case, nor does it mean the defendant is not guilty.
A hearing was scheduled for 29 September, where prosecutors could outline their next steps in the case.
Meanwhile, the 36-year-old former nurse will remain held on the same murder charges and maintain staying in the mental health facility where she is housed now.
Prosecutors could decide from a host of options on what happens next, including holding another trial or coming to a plea agreement with Clancy over the strangulation of her children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, eight months - in their Massachusetts home.
After killing the children, Clancy cut herself with a knife and jumped from a second-story window in an attempt to take her own life, which has left her paralysed.
Clancy does not deny killing the children in 2023 but pleaded not guilty to the three first-degree murder charges, with her lawyers arguing she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible.
The mistrial came after six weeks of court proceedings and after jurors deliberated for more than 40 hours over seven days.
"There will be no decisions made today," Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said on Friday on what could happen next in the case.
He said he would meet with the rest of their legal team to decide whether they will pursue a new trial.
"The facts are Lindsay Clancy killed her three children and the evidence suggested to us that she was in control of her actions when she committed those homicides," he said.
Outside the court on Friday, Reddington said he believed 11 of the 12 jurors would have delivered a verdict that favoured Clancy, had it not been for the one holdout.
But it remains unclear what position any member of the jury took or what talks looked like in the deliberation room.
For weeks the case gripped the country and sparked debate over the topic of postpartum psychosis. Many followed along with livestreams of the trial, as family members and experts testified. Each day, more than 200 members of the media crowded the court and groups of supporters in varying sizes often gathered outside.
The widespread attention even spurred comments on Friday from US President Donald Trump, who called the case a "horrible tragedy".
"She did a horrible, horrible thing. Can't be worse," he said at the White House. "I assume there's going to be another trial."
"But you'll find out what the price to pay is," Trump added. "There'll be a price."
If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide. www.befrienders.org.
In the UK a list of organisations that can help is available at bbc.co.uk/actionline.
Read the full story at BBC ↗ · Al Jazeera ↗ · The Hill ↗
This lens runs the verified story through Cinnamon's AI — wired in the next step.
- The mistrial now puts the murder case - and Clancy's future - in limbo as to whether she will be held criminally liable in the deaths of her three kids