A judge declared a mistrial on Friday in the case of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother charged with murdering her three young children in 2023. The jury deliberated for seven days—over 36 hours—before reporting for the third time that it could not reach a unanimous verdict, according to multiple sources.

Judge William Sullivan of the Massachusetts Superior Court declared the mistrial after the jury indicated it was deadlocked, with reports of an 11-1 split. The defense had sought to remove a holdout juror, and an emergency appeal to the state's highest court was denied, clearing the way for the mistrial.

Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children: Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months. The killings occurred on January 24, 2023, in the family's Duxbury home. Clancy has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, with her defense arguing that postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder left her unable to control her actions. Prosecutors maintained that she deliberately planned the killings.

Following the mistrial, Judge Sullivan told the parties he would like to retry the case later in the fall, but acknowledged timing was uncertain. "My thinking is to try it sooner rather than later, but I'm not sure that sooner," he said, according to court reports. A status conference was scheduled for September 29.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said the prosecution would decide whether to retry Clancy at a future court hearing. "There will be no decisions made today regarding that," Cruz told reporters after the trial adjourned. He added that his office would "meet with our team and address this case further at the appropriate time in the context of official court proceedings."

The district attorney has several options: retry Clancy on three counts of first-degree murder, pursue a lesser charge such as second-degree murder, or negotiate a plea agreement. Boston defense attorney Elyse Hershon said prosecutors "would retry her as a first degree, or perhaps decide at a later time to offer a plea deal for a lesser charge. Only the DA can do that."

Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington, has indicated he wants a second trial to begin as soon as possible, ideally within two weeks. He argued the deadlocked jury showed prosecutors failed to prove their case, claiming 11 jurors were prepared to acquit. He also said Cruz was "crushed" by the outcome and that the prosecution "doesn't have a case."

Meanwhile, Patrick Clancy, the children's father and Lindsay's ex-husband, said a second trial would be "extraordinarily painful" for him and his family. In a statement released by his lawyer, David Meier, Patrick said he is "grateful to the Court and to the jurors for their hard work, their commitment, and their perseverance." The statement noted that "the prospect of reliving this tragedy through another trial is extraordinarily painful."

Clancy will remain in custody at Tewksbury Hospital, a state-run psychiatric facility in Massachusetts, where she has been held without bail throughout the proceedings. She is paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-story window the night of the killings.

Legal analysts noted that a mistrial due to a hung jury does not typically bar retrial. Former prosecutor Jolie Zangari said the case deserves a thorough examination, while defense attorney Mark Bederow suggested the prosecution may have gained insight into weaknesses in its case. Reddington is reportedly laying groundwork for an appeal of the mistrial decision.

The trial, which began in July, heard testimony from 85 witnesses and included expert evidence about Clancy's mental health. The jury had the option of convicting on first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or manslaughter, or finding her not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. The case has drawn attention to postpartum mental health issues and the maternal healthcare system.