SEPTEMBER 3, 2026
Lindsay Clancy jury enters sixth day of deliberations as mistrial risk grows
The jury in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial began its sixth day of deliberations on Thursday after reporting twice — on Tuesday and Wednesday — that it could not reach a unanimous verdict. Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, is charged with murdering her three children, Cora (5), Dawson (3), and Callan (8 months), whom she strangled with exercise bands in the basement of their Massachusetts home in 2023. She does not deny the killings; her defense argues she was not criminally responsible due to postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors say she acted intentionally.
Jurors filed into the Plymouth, Massachusetts courtroom Thursday morning with their eyes trained on the floor, according to CNN, which described several female jurors with hands clasped in front of them. The Associated Press reported that Clancy took a deep breath at the defense table just before jurors entered. By the start of day six, the jury had deliberated for approximately 29.5 hours without reaching a unanimous decision.
On Wednesday, Judge William F. Sullivan read the jury the Tuey-Rodriguez instructions — known nationally as an Allen Charge or "dynamite charge" — which asks jurors to consider the reasonableness of their own opinions and those of others, and states that it is "desirable that the case be decided." Sullivan also told jurors not to abandon their own convictions just to reach a verdict, but urged them to seriously consider opposing views. The AP reported Sullivan told jurors that no future jury was guaranteed to be "more intelligent, more impartial or more competent" than they are.
If the jury returns another deadlock note, legal analysts cited by CNN said Judge Sullivan would likely declare a mistrial to avoid coercing jurors into a verdict against their conscience. Should a mistrial be declared, prosecutors would then face the choice of retrying Clancy, dropping the charges, or negotiating a plea. CNN reported that if retried, Clancy would remain held without bail at Tewksbury Hospital pending the next trial. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington, when asked by reporters about the prospect of a retrial, said "bring it," and stated he has witnesses and evidence ready.