Patrick Clancy has broken his silence after the murder trial of his former wife, Lindsay Clancy, ended in a mistrial, thanking the court and jurors while warning that the prospect of another trial would be deeply painful.
Mr Clancy issued the statement through his attorney on Friday after a Plymouth County Superior Court judge declared the mistrial when the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
“The loss of Patrick’s children is something from which he will never recover,” the statement said, adding that there would be “no closure” for the family.
It continued: “The prospect of reliving this tragedy through another trial is extraordinarily painful – for Patrick, for his family, and for all of us.”
The statement also expressed gratitude to the court and jurors for their “hard work, their commitment, and their perseverance” during the closely watched proceedings in Massachusetts.
The jury had deliberated for seven days, including about 36 hours of discussions, before informing Judge William Sullivan that it remained deadlocked. Reports indicated the panel was split 11-1, although jurors’ individual views have not been publicly identified.
Lindsay Clancy, a former labour and delivery nurse, was charged with killing her three young children at the family’s home in Duxbury in January 2023. Her defence argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and could not be held criminally responsible, while prosecutors maintained that she knew what she was doing.
Her lawyer, Kevin Reddington, sought an emergency appeal after the judge rejected a request to remove a juror accused by the defence of failing to follow instructions on reasonable doubt. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court declined to intervene, allowing the mistrial to be formally declared.
Clancy remains in custody at Tewksbury State Hospital under psychiatric care. Prosecutors have not yet decided whether to seek a second trial, and a further hearing has been scheduled for September 29.
