The jury in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial has told the judge it remains unable to reach a unanimous verdict after five days of deliberations, deepening uncertainty over the fate of the Massachusetts mother accused of killing her three children.
Judge William Sullivan responded by giving the 12-member panel a Tuey-Rodriguez instruction, directing jurors to make a final and serious effort to resolve their differences. The instruction is used in Massachusetts when a jury reports that it is deadlocked and can be delivered no more than twice before a mistrial must be declared.
Clancy, 36, has admitted strangling Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan with exercise bands at the family’s home in Duxbury on 24 January 2023. She has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, with her defence arguing that she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis at the time.
Prosecutors contend that Clancy was criminally responsible and deliberately killed the children as part of a planned suicide attempt. The former labour and delivery nurse survived after plunging from a second-floor window and is now paralysed from the waist down.
The jury has heard evidence from more than 80 witnesses and been asked to consider more than 300 exhibits during a trial lasting five weeks. Its possible findings include first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, not guilty, or not criminally responsible by reason of mental illness. ([boston25news.com](https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/lindsay-clancy-trial-live-updates-deadlocked-jury-returns-5th-day-deliberations/KBFJCBSS6VH4BLJOAW6MO6ZYL4/?outputType=amp))
Lindsay Clancy jury faces further deliberations
The latest impasse came after jurors were brought back into court following a question to the judge. They had previously reported on Tuesday that they could not agree, but were sent back to continue deliberating.
Wednesday’s proceedings were also affected by the arrest of Dawn Light, 56, who prosecutors allege filmed jurors as they left Plymouth Superior Court. Light has denied deliberately recording the panel, saying she was trying to photograph Clancy, but police said video of jurors was found in the deleted-files folder on her phone.
Light was charged with intimidating a witness, juror or person providing information in connection with criminal proceedings. She was released without posting bail and ordered to stay away from the courthouse, jurors and witnesses.
Before deliberations resumed, Judge Sullivan reminded those in and around the court that orders and Massachusetts law protecting jurors, witnesses and others involved in the case would be enforced. Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, said jurors were questioned individually about the incident and that there were no issues affecting the panel’s impartiality. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/6f3a9556fb5d7a2b159b33ac6f2edc2c))
If the jury cannot agree after further deliberations, the judge could declare a mistrial. Prosecutors would then have to decide whether to seek a new trial, abandon the charges or negotiate a plea agreement with Clancy’s lawyers. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/6f3a9556fb5d7a2b159b33ac6f2edc2c))
