PLYMOUTH, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts jury plans to deliberate for a fifth day Wednesday on whether Lindsay Clancy was criminally responsible when she strangled her three children in 2023, amid conflicting testimony about her postpregnancy mental health.
If the jury cannot reach a verdict, a mistrial will be declared, and the case will revert to its pre-trial status, with Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, charged with murder and held at a psychiatric hospital awaiting a resolution of the criminal case.
Prosecutors will then decide whether to retry the case with a new jury. If they choose to proceed, the jury selection process will begin anew, and a new trial will be scheduled. Alternatively, prosecutors could offer a plea deal to Clancy, according to Brad Bailey, a Boston defense attorney and former prosecutor not involved in the case.
Clancy does not deny strangling her children at their home south of Boston but claims that postpartum psychosis influenced her actions. After the incident, her husband found her severely injured in the yard after she jumped from a second-story window, resulting in her paralysis from the waist down. Prosecutors contend that she was aware of her actions.
The district attorney's office could also decide not to retry the case, particularly if they believe the outcome would be similar to the current trial and considering the costs associated with expert witnesses.
Bailey anticipates that Clancy's defense attorney will advocate against a retrial, arguing that Clancy has already suffered significantly due to her paralysis and the loss of her children.
A conviction could result in a life sentence for Clancy, while an acquittal might lead to her confinement in a mental health facility. In a similar case, Karen Read was charged in the 2022 death of her boyfriend, and after jurors deadlocked on the fifth day of deliberations, a mistrial was declared. Prosecutors retried the case, leading to a not guilty verdict.
Clancy's trial has garnered significant public attention, highlighting issues related to maternal mental health. Supporters view her as a mother who sought help, while critics argue she should face consequences for her actions.