A mistrial has been declared in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on whether the Massachusetts mother was criminally responsible for the deaths of her three children.
Judge William Sullivan announced the decision at Plymouth Superior Court on Friday, September 4, after seven days of deliberations. The jury said it was unable to agree, despite repeated directions to continue considering the case. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/3347cdc3f6c0c27c9d388d9696844771))
Clancy, 36, has admitted killing Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan at the family 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 understood what she was doing.
The mistrial was briefly delayed after defence lawyer Kevin Reddington asked for time to seek emergency intervention from Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court. The appeal was rejected later on Friday, clearing the way for Judge Sullivan to formally end the proceedings. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/3347cdc3f6c0c27c9d388d9696844771))
Speaking outside court, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said there would be no immediate decision on whether to seek a retrial. He thanked the jury and the prosecutors involved, Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham, and said the first-degree murder charges brought against Clancy had been “warranted” and “appropriate”. ([wbur.org](https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/09/04/lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-verdict-massachusetts))
Cruz rejected suggestions that the case was primarily about shortcomings in women’s healthcare or the treatment of new mothers. “This was and has always been about getting justice for those three little babies,” he said. “We’re here at this courthouse today because those children are not.” ([wbur.org](https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/09/04/lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-verdict-massachusetts))
He added that the prosecution would review the case before deciding how to proceed, saying: “I’ll be meeting with our team and we will address this case further at the appropriate time in the context of an official court proceeding.” ([theguardian.com](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/sep/04/lindsay-clancy-mistrial-live-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6a9b1d568f0834a1091dfc70&utm_source=openai))
Clancy is expected to remain in a state psychiatric hospital, where she has been held for more than three years. The trial focused not on whether she killed her children, but on whether her mental state meant she could not legally be held responsible for their deaths. ([wbur.org](https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/09/04/lindsay-clancy-murder-trial-verdict-massachusetts))
