Jury Deadlock in Lindsay Clancy Trial Prompts Judge to Order Further Deliberations
The jury in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, accused of murdering her three children, told Judge William Sullivan on Tuesday morning that they were unable to reach a unanimous decision. The judge instructed them to continue deliberating.
"I know that this was a long trial," Sullivan told the jury, which is made up of nine women and three men. "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, keeping in mind all the instructions that I gave you. To go out and to continue your deliberations at this time."
When the jury reported the deadlock, they had been deliberating for nearly 18 hours over four days. If they remain unable to reach a unanimous decision, the trial could end in a mistrial.
Clancy is on trial for allegedly murdering her three children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — in January 2023. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, and the jury must decide whether she is criminally responsible for the deaths. The jurors are considering five possible verdicts: guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of second-degree murder, guilty of manslaughter, not guilty by lack of criminal responsibility, or not guilty.
During the trial, the defense did not dispute that Clancy killed her children, but argued she was suffering from postpartum depression and psychosis at the time and therefore should not be held criminally responsible. The prosecution, however, argued that she was of sound mind, knew right from wrong, and planned the killings — pointing to steps taken before the deaths, including sending her husband, Patrick Clancy, on an errand.
The case has drawn widespread attention, and the trial has been televised, becoming a public spectacle, mainly on social media. Many mothers have expressed sympathy for Clancy, sharing their own experiences with postpartum psychosis, while others argue that anyone who kills their children should be imprisoned. Social media has also fueled conspiracy theories, with some claiming that Patrick Clancy was actually responsible for the children's deaths.
Patrick Clancy's lawyer, Howard Cooper, told CNN that anyone suggesting his client killed the children "should be on notice." He added: "The facts are indisputable: Patrick Clancy has suffered an unspeakable and unimaginable loss."
If found guilty, Clancy faces life in prison without parole; if found not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a mental health facility.
Conservative commentator Matt Walsh has pushed back against online defenses of Clancy, arguing that her earlier reputation as a loving mother does not answer whether she was criminally responsible. In posts on X, Walsh wrote: "That's how psychopaths operate," and "The only chance for a fair trial in the Clancy case is with a jury of all men." After the deadlock was reported, he wrote: "If they can't get a guilty verdict here, it will never happen."
No verdict had been reached as of Tuesday evening, and Judge Sullivan dismissed the jury for the day with deliberations set to continue Wednesday.