US judge declares mistrial in case of woman accused of killing her three children

A Massachusetts judge, William Sullivan, ruled on Friday that the criminal case against Lindsay Clancy, accused of killing her three young children, had not been properly resolved. The decision came after jurors, following a week of deliberation, said three times they could not unanimously agree on the woman's guilt, the BBC reports.

The defendant's lawyers had tried to get the judge to rule on the case directly, but the attempt failed. The judge said he would declare a mistrial because the jury had reached an impasse. Such an outcome means neither that the prosecution's case has been proven nor that the defendant is not guilty.

What happens next

Until the next hearing on September 29, the 36-year-old former nurse will remain in custody and continue to be held at the psychiatric facility where she is currently being treated. Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said he would consult with his legal team to decide whether to pursue a new trial or seek a plea agreement with Clancy.

Cruz stressed that the evidence showed Clancy was aware of her actions when she killed her children. It remains unclear, however, what position each juror took during deliberations.

Background

Clancy faces three counts of first-degree murder over the 2023 deaths of her five-year-old daughter, three-year-old son and eight-month-old infant at their Massachusetts home. After the killings, she injured herself with a knife and jumped from a second-floor window in an apparent suicide attempt, which left her paralyzed. She has not denied killing the children but has pleaded not guilty, with her defense arguing she suffered from postpartum depression.

The case has deeply divided American public opinion, prompting comments even from President Donald Trump, who called it a horrible tragedy and predicted another trial would follow.