Lindsay Clancy could face a second murder trial despite 11 jurors in favour of finding her “not-guilty” in the killing of her three young children, after a judge refused to bring the case to an end.
Judge William Sullivan heard the case on Thursday and rejected a request from Clancy’s lawyers to acquit her following last month’s mistrial.
The decision does not mean another trial is mandatory, however, it puts the next major decision back in the hands of prosecutors, who have yet to say whether they will take Clancy before another jury.
Her first trial ended on September 4 after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict despite nearly 40 hours of deliberations. The split was 11-1 in favour of acquitting Clancy of the murder charges.
Her lawyers then tried another route. Attorney Kevin Reddington argued there was not enough evidence for the murder charges to stand and asked the judge to enter a finding of not guilty. The judge disagreed.
Judge Sullivan said physical and circumstantial evidence presented during the trial was enough that a rational jury could find the elements of murder proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
That leaves prosecutors with several possible ways forward.
They could take:
- Clancy to trial again on three counts of first-degree murder,
- Pursue lesser charges including second-degree murder or manslaughter,
- Seek a negotiated resolution or decide not to prosecute the case again.
Clancy, 36, was charged over the January 2023 deaths of her children Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, who was eight months old.
The central fight during her first trial was not simply over what happened inside the family’s Duxbury, Massachusetts, home, but whether Clancy could legally be held responsible for her actions.
Her defense argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was unable to understand the wrongfulness of what she was doing. Prosecutors disputed that argument and maintained that Clancy knew what she was doing.
Clancy remains at a psychiatric hospital while the case continues. Her defense is also still trying to prevent another trial through separate legal arguments, including a challenge involving the lone juror who prevented the first jury from reaching a unanimous verdict.
The next hearing is scheduled for November 2.
2026-10-02 20:29:00
