ABSTRACT

A jury in Plymouth Superior Court sent Judge William Sullivan a note on Tuesday — the fourth day of deliberations — indicating it could not reach a unanimous decision on whether Lindsay Clancy, 36, a former labour and delivery nurse, is criminally responsible for the 2023 deaths of her three young children, Cora, Dawson and Callan Clancy, aged five, three and eight months. Sullivan told jurors he understood it had been a long and complex trial involving more than 80 witnesses and more than 300 exhibits, and directed them to return to deliberations, which are set to continue Wednesday.

The Independent

Judge orders Lindsay Clancy jury to continue deliberating after deadlock note

Sep 1, 2026, 10:53 AM

Context

Clancy has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. She does not deny killing the children but, according to her defence, postpartum psychosis caused her to lose her grip on reality. Prosecutors contend she was depressed, tired of living, and made a conscious choice to kill the children before attempting to take her own life.

The jury began deliberating on Thursday afternoon following more than four weeks of testimony. On Friday, jurors asked to examine evidence including bags containing empty prescription pill bottles found in the home. According to The Independent, they also requested to see a knife Clancy used to cut herself.

The children were killed in the basement of the family's home south of Boston. According to ABC News Australia, Clancy sent her husband on an errand before killing the children less than three weeks after being discharged from a psychiatric hospital. According to The Independent, she then jumped from a second-floor window and remains paralysed from the waist down; ABC News Australia reports she remains paralysed from the waist down following a self-harm attempt.

During the trial, medical experts offered competing assessments of Clancy's mental state. Her lawyers argued she had bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis and heard a voice directing her to kill the children so she could end her own life. A forensic psychologist testifying for the prosecution concluded she killed the children because she wanted to die but did not want to leave them behind.

According to The Guardian, jurors learned that Clancy had been prescribed 13 different sleep and anxiety medications, with her attorneys maintaining this may have worsened her depression symptoms.

Clancy's mother, sister and former husband Patrick Clancy testified during the trial. Patrick Clancy, who has said in interviews that he forgives his ex-wife and viewed her as ill rather than evil, appeared in court for the first time since the killings. Clancy herself did not take the stand; she watched proceedings from the defence table and was observed weeping at times.

Possible outcomes include a conviction for murder or manslaughter, an acquittal, or a mistrial if the jury remains deadlocked. A conviction could carry a life prison sentence. An acquittal could still result in confinement to a mental health facility if a court evaluation determines she poses a danger to the public. If a mistrial is declared, prosecutors would need to decide whether to retry the case.

According to The Guardian, following the criminal trial, civil litigation brought by both Lindsay and Patrick Clancy against her medical and mental healthcare providers — alleging malpractice in failing to properly diagnose, treat and monitor her condition — is expected to proceed.

Postpartum psychosis is described by multiple sources as a rare condition estimated to affect one to two out of every 1,000 women following delivery, and is considered more serious and less common than postpartum depression.

All Perspectives

Defence (attorney Kevin Reddington): Reddington argued that Clancy loved her children but killed them because she had lost her grip on reality due to bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis. He told reporters that Clancy had a 'flat affect' and was 'sad' during deliberations and said she would not be able to emotionally handle going through trial again. On the prospect of a retrial, he said the decision-making process 'could be a while — as long as they are willing to keep working,' and suggested that if Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz reduced the charges to second-degree murder it would allow Clancy to opt for a bench trial rather than a jury trial. Reddington also said, 'You should ask Mr. Cruz why we are trying on triple homicide first degree, not me.'

Prosecution: Prosecutors argued that Clancy was depressed and tired of living, and made a conscious choice to kill the children before attempting suicide, contending she understood what she was doing. A forensic psychologist testifying for the prosecution concluded that Clancy killed the children because she wanted to end her life but did not want to leave them behind.

Defence expert (psychologist): According to The Independent, a psychologist who testified for the defence said Clancy did not recognise the 'wrongfulness' of killing her children because of her mental health issues.

Patrick Clancy (former husband): Patrick Clancy, who testified for two days and whose anguished 911 call was played for the jury, has said in interviews that he forgives his ex-wife, whom he viewed as ill rather than evil. The trial marked the first time he had seen Lindsay Clancy since the killings.

Judge William Sullivan: Sullivan acknowledged the jury's note indicating deadlock, telling jurors: 'I know that this was a long trial. I know there were over 80 witnesses. There were over 300 exhibits. But because of that, I'm going to ask you to go back out.' He subsequently released the jury for the day and instructed them not to read, listen to, or discuss the case until deliberations resumed the following morning.

Clancy's family (mother and sister): Clancy's mother and sister testified that she became anxious, paranoid and suicidal after the birth of her third child, and that her mental health deteriorated in the months leading up to the killings.

Position not represented in the source reporting: Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz — named by defence counsel in public remarks but not quoted or given an opportunity to respond in any source.

Where sources differ

The method by which Clancy killed the children differs across sources: ABC News Australia states she killed them without specifying the method in the lead, while The Guardian and The Independent state she strangled the children; The Independent also states she killed them with exercise bands.
How Clancy injured herself after the killings differs: ABC News Australia says she 'attempted to take her own life' without specifying how; The Independent says she jumped from a second-floor window; The Guardian does not specify the method.
The deliberation clock at the time the jury was sent home is reported only by The Guardian, which states it stood at 23 hours; the other sources do not provide this figure.

Gaps & Unknowns

The specific content of the jury's deadlock note and which charges or counts may be in dispute among jurors have not been disclosed.
The breakdown of juror positions — how many favour conviction versus acquittal and on which charges — is not established by any source.
Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not been quoted responding to defence counsel's public remarks or to questions about potential charge reductions or a retrial decision.
The full details of the civil litigation against Clancy's healthcare providers, including which providers are named and the current status of those proceedings, are not established.
No source confirms whether prosecutors have been approached about or are considering a plea deal.
The precise nature and timeline of the 13 medications Clancy was prescribed, beyond their general category, are not detailed in the sources.

Sources & Further Reading

ABC News Australia — original
New York Post — by Steven Vago, Priscilla DeGregory
The Guardian US — by Associated Press
The Independent — by Michael Casey

Read the original at ABC News Australia

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