Judge Declines to Remove Hold‑out Juror as Clancy Trial Stands Still
A judge once again told a dead‑locked jury in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial to keep trying to reach a unanimous verdict after a dramatic sixth day of deliberations that has captured national attention.
The jury, made up of nine women and three men, has spent almost 35 hours debating the case in Plymouth, Massachusetts, with no result. On Thursday, the jury forewoman sent a note to Judge William Sullivan saying one juror was “refusing to listen to the law on reasonable doubt”. The defense requested that the juror be removed, but the judge refused, stating it was not appropriate for him to side with one side or the other.
Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first‑degree murder for the killing of her five‑year‑old daughter Cora, three‑year‑old son Dawson and eight‑month‑old son Callan in her family home on 24 January 2023. She denies the killings, claiming she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and could not distinguish right from wrong. If convicted, she faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty by reason of insanity, she could be committed to a state psychiatric facility.
The judge’s decision to keep the juror in the room means deliberations will continue, though legal experts note that if the jury still cannot agree, a mistrial may be declared and the case could be retried. This development could add weeks to an already protracted legal process.
Sources in the courtroom reported visible tension as the defense lawyer, Kevin Reddington, spoke with the judge and later explained the situation to Clancy. The judge explained he would allow the juror to stay and the jury to continue deliberations, while the prosecutor, Jennifer Sprague, agreed the instructions were appropriate.
As the court is set to reconvene tomorrow at 09:00 BST, the next steps hinge on whether the jury can overcome the stand‑still, or if a mistrial will be declared, potentially sending the case back to the courtroom.
