In a dramatic conclusion to a trial that has gripped, saddened and divided the nation, the judge declared a mistrial in the case of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother who admits to killing her three children in 2023.
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who → grip → 2023
The trial collapsed without a verdict after the jury deliberated for roughly 38 hours but could not reach a consensus over whether Clancy was criminally responsible for the killings.
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Clancy → collapse → killings
The nine women and three men had twice already told the judge earlier this week they couldn’t reach a unanimous decision and had been sent back to deliberate further.
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they → tell → decision
But today, they came back once more, declaring that “with a heavy heart” they could not “and will not be able to” reach a consensus.
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they → come → consensus
After a last-ditch appeal to the state’s highest court from the defense was denied, Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial.
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Sullivan → deny → mistrial
He thanked the jury, which was split 11-1, for their efforts and hard work in serving on such a difficult case, and set a status hearing for 29 September.
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which → thank → September
The Plymouth county district attorney said it would not make a decision on whether to pursue a retrial today.
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it → say → retrial
Tim Cruz told reporters outside the courthouse that this case was “not about the healthcare system or how women are treated in it”.
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women → tell → it
The case, he said, “was and has always been about getting justice for those three little babies.
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he → say → babies
We’re here at this courthouse today because those children are not.”
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children → ’re → courthouse
Clancy’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington placed blame on the mistrial on the holdout juror that prevented a verdict, but said Clancy would be ready for another trial, should it come in the fall.
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it → place → fall
Reddington claimed he had “won” the case and “crushed” the prosecution’s arguments (reminder: we don’t know in which direction the jury was split), and said Clancy is a “brave” and “wonderful” person whose life is “a tragedy”.
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life → claim → arguments
He said he hoped the case would spark change for how women experiencing postpartum mental health issues are treated in the United States.
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women → say → States
A reminder that Clancy’s defense argued that she killed her children while in the throes of severe postpartum psychosis, while the prosecution argued she was in control of her actions and planned the killings.
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she → argue → killings
In a recent episode of our Stateside podcast, my colleagues Carter Sherman and Jenna Amatulli, unpacked why the case has polarized so many people and the renewed attention is has drawn to the shortcomings in the US’s maternal healthcare system.
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is → unpack → system
My colleague Sarah Sloat has this explainer on postpartum psychosis, its symptoms and how it can be treated, and Jessica Glenza has spoken to experts about the gaps in research into the condition.
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Glenza → have → condition
Maya Yang has highlighted five key moments from what has been called “America’s saddest murder trial” and Edward Helmore has our news report.
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Helmore → highlight → report
Thank you for reading our coverage of what has been a deeply distressing and sad case to follow.
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what → thank → coverage
Reddington also said other countries are “light years ahead” of the United States in treating women who speak about their postpartum mental health issues in a way that keeps the children with them in a safe environment while they get treatment.
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they → say → treatment
Reddington also said he hoped the case might spark changes in society when it comes to postpartum health care.
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it → say → care
This case highlighted “the woeful deficiency that women have when they are pregnant, when they have babies, and God forbid when they are on medication because of postpartum psychosis,” he said.
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he → highlight → psychosis
Asked if he would do anything differently in a second trial, Reddington said: “Why would I?
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I → ask → trial
I won the case.”
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I → win → case
A reminder that we don’t know how the jury was split.
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jury → know → ?
He also said he’d want the same 11 out of the 12 jurors, and finding jurors who weren’t aware of the case would be the real challenge.
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who → say → case
I don’t know if we will ever be able to get jurors that aren’t aware of this case anywhere.
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that → know → case
New York, Washington, Georgia, Japan, India, I don’t know anywhere.
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I → know → ?
Clancy 'will be ready' for potential retrial in fall, defense attorney says
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attorney → say → fall
Asked about previous comments that client Lindsay Clancy was not emotionally ready for another trial, Reddington said, “Judge Sullivan is indicating that we are looking at sometime in the fall …
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we → ask → fall
Clancy will continue to stay in Tewksbury state hospital, he added.
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he → continue → hospital
Clancy's defense lawyer says he 'crushed' the prosecution's case
Lindsay Clancy’s defense attorney Kevin Reddington is now speaking to reporters outside the courthouse.
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attorney → say → courthouse
“Obviously this is not a time for gloating, bragging, expressing victory.
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this → gloat → victory
It’s a very sad case,” he said.
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he → ’ → ?
He said he “crushed” the prosecution’s case, adding: “I’m representing a woman who is a fantastic, wonderful individual.
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who → say → woman
She sat there through seven weeks of the trial, where nobody had anything bad to say about her except the two prosecutors.
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nobody → sit → prosecutors
Cruz said he acknowledged that postpartum depression impacts the lives of many women, but argued that the evidence suggests Lindsay Clancy was “in control of her actions when she committed those homicides”.
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she → say → homicides
(A reminder that Clancy’s defense argued that she suffered from severe postpartum psychosis, which is different to postpartum depression).
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which → argue → depression
The prosecution “did our part”, Cruz went on, adding that he’s proud of the work they did in the case.
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they → do → case
He particularly praised assistant district attorneys Jennifer Sprague and ShananBuckingham, who “are both mothers themselves, and went home to their families after each long day in court.”
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who → praise → court
They embraced the most difficult trial assignment with utmost professionalism and always with the thoughts of Cora, Dawson and little Callan on their minds.
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They → embrace → minds
…and 8 more, not listed.
The Aporia
