Lindsay Clancy's lawyer Kevin Reddington is asking Judge William Sullivan to declare her not guilty by reason of insanity in the murder trial that ended in a deadlock. Reddington argues that prosecutors failed to prove Clancy knew killing her three young children was wrong, citing evidence of her serious mental illness and lack of appreciation for the wrongfulness of her actions. The jury was deadlocked after seven days of deliberation, with 11 jurors willing to find Clancy not guilty by reason of insanity but held up by a single juror who refused to agree. A hearing on Reddington's motion is scheduled for September 29.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, 36, nears its conclusion after five weeks of proceedings at Plymouth Superior Court in Massachusetts. Prosecutors and defense attorneys presented testimony from over 80 witnesses, including mental health professionals who debated Clancy’s state of mind when she killed her three young children—5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan—in January 2023.
Clancy pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, arguing that postpartum psychosis made her unable to understand the wrongfulness of her actions. However, FBI psychiatrist Dr. Gregory Saathoff testified against this claim, suggesting Clancy had control over her actions and did not act under auditory hallucinations. Closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday, with jurors set to deliberate on charges including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, or a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Outside the courtroom, hundreds of supporters, mostly women, have gathered in solidarity with Clancy, highlighting systemic failures in maternal health care and support systems.
Written for “Lindsay Clancy Murder Trial” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 77 other(s) covering the same event.
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No political leaning scored for article 7987 · logged 2026-09-11
Lindsay Clancy's lawyer asks judge to find her not guilty of murder following mistrial
Defence attorney says judge should decide outcome after sole juror held out against not guilty verdict
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juror → ask → verdict
This article contains details about violence against children and attempted suicide.
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article → contain → children
Lindsay Clancy's lawyer on Thursday asked the judge who oversaw the Massachusetts woman's murder trial to declare her not guilty by reason of insanity, saying prosecutors had failed to prove that, despite being mentally ill, she knew killing her three young children would be wrong.
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killing → ask → children
Defence attorney Kevin Reddington made the request to Judge William Sullivan six days after the trial ended in a deadlock, and as a fourth member of the 12-member jury went public to describe how a single juror had prevented the panel from reaching a unanimous verdict.
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juror → make → verdict
The jury in Plymouth, Mass., deliberated for seven days before Sullivan declared a mistrial on Aug. 4, following repeated reports by the jury that it was deadlocked.
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it → deliberate → jury
Prosecutors have yet to say if they plan to retry Clancy.
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they → have → Clancy
But Reddington argued that Sullivan should decide the matter himself, saying prosecutors did not present evidence during the six-week trial that would allow a jury to find Clancy guilty of the first-degree murder charges she faces.
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she → argue → charges
Reddington argued that even the prosecution's expert witnesses agreed Clancy suffered from a serious mental illness at the time.
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Clancy → argue → time
He said the evidence at most showed that she retained the ability to perform familiar tasks, but not that she could appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions.
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she → say → actions
"No rational jury could find beyond a reasonable doubt that she had no mental disease or defence when the Commonwealth's own proof established that she did," Reddington wrote in the motion, referring to the prosecution.
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Reddington → find → prosecution
He asked the judge to hear arguments on his motion during a hearing scheduled for Sept. 29.
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A spokesperson for Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz did not respond to a request for comment.
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spokesperson → respond → comment
Clancy, 36, has admitted to strangling her three children with exercise bands on Jan. 24, 2023, in the basement of their home in the Boston suburb of Duxbury.
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Clancy → admit → Duxbury
She then cut herself with a knife and jumped from a second-storey window, leaving her paralyzed.
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Holdout 'wouldn't engage' with other members: juror
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Reddington at trial sought to convince jurors she should be found not guilty by reason of insanity, known in Massachusetts as lack of criminal responsibility, saying she suffered from postpartum psychosis when she killed Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and eight-month-old Callan.
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she → seek → Cora
In his motion, Reddington said 11 of the 12 jurors had been prepared to find her not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility but could not return a verdict due to a single juror who, despite acknowledging having reasonable doubt, would not agree to find Clancy not guilty.
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Clancy → say → doubt
Will Lindsay Clancy face a new trial?
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Clancy → face → trial
What's next after mistrial declared
Lindsay Clancy's ex-husband threatens legal action over 'relentless' conspiracy theories
One of the jurors, Nick Dargie, said in an interview with ABC's Good Morning America that aired Thursday that the holdout juror, who has not been publicly identified, often "wouldn't engage" with other members of the jury.
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who → declare → jury
"I think if they tried the trial again the way they did, I think nine times out of 10, I think a jury would come back with not guilty by reason of insanity," Dargie said.
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Dargie → think → insanity
If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to look for help:
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you → know → help
- This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.
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you → outline → someone
