Clancy's lawyer asks Trump to consider pardon after Massachusetts mistrial
The lawyer for Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her three children, has publicly asked President Trump to consider pardoning her after her trial ended in a hung jury. Clancy is being tried in state, not federal court, where Trump's pardon power does not apply.
Attorney Kevin Reddington used a televised appearance on ABC's Good Morning America to appeal directly to President Donald Trump, asking him to consider a pardon for his client, Lindsay Clancy. The 36-year-old is accused of fatally strangling her three young children — five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan — at the family's home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023.
The appeal followed a judge's declaration of a mistrial on Friday after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Reddington also referenced Trump's own comment on Friday describing the case as a tragedy.
Notably, presidential pardon power applies only to federal cases, while Clancy is being prosecuted under Massachusetts state law. Reddington nonetheless pointed to a precedent: in June, former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters, convicted in state court over a scheme tied to election conspiracy theories, was released early from a nine-year sentence after Democratic Governor Jared Polis acted under pressure from Trump.
Prosecution and defense arguments
Prosecutors had argued Clancy acted with awareness, planning the killings and ensuring her husband was away from home at the time. The defense countered that she suffered from postpartum psychosis that made her incapable of understanding her actions. A forensic psychiatrist testifying for the defense said Clancy had severe depression and worsening anxiety after childbirth, culminating in a psychotic state at the time of the killings.
After the deaths, Clancy also jumped from a bedroom window in an apparent suicide attempt, leaving her paralyzed. The Plymouth County jury deliberated for more than 38 hours before splitting 11-1 in favor of acquittal, failing to reach the unanimity required for a verdict. The case has fueled wider public discussion about postpartum mental health. Trump told reporters Friday that a new trial is expected to follow.
