Jurors in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy have been ordered back into deliberations after telling the judge they could not reach a unanimous verdict, extending the closely watched case into a fifth day.
The 36-year-old former labour and delivery nurse is facing first-degree murder charges over the 2023 deaths of her three young children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, at the family’s home south of Boston.
The jury, made up of nine women and three men, sent a note to Judge William Sullivan saying they were deadlocked after three days of private discussions.
The development reportedly drew gasps inside the courtroom.
Judge Sullivan directed the jurors to return to the jury room and continue deliberating in an effort to reach an agreement.
Clancy does not dispute that she caused the deaths of her children by strangulation before jumping from a second-storey window in an apparent suicide attempt. The fall left her paralysed from the waist down.
Her defence team argues that Clancy was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings and was unable to distinguish right from wrong.
Prosecutors, however, maintain that the killings were deliberate and planned, and have rejected the argument that Clancy’s mental state prevented her from forming criminal intent.
If the jury ultimately fails to reach a verdict, Judge Sullivan would declare a mistrial, meaning the case would return to its position before the trial began. Clancy would remain in a state psychiatric facility while prosecutors consider their next move.
Prosecutors could seek a new trial with a different jury, negotiate a plea agreement with the defence or decide not to pursue the charges further.
A retrial could prove costly because of the complex medical evidence and expert testimony involved in the case. There is also no guarantee that a second jury would reach a different conclusion.
Clancy’s defence is expected to oppose any retrial, pointing to her continuing mental health struggles, permanent physical disability and the deaths of her children.
If the current jury reaches a verdict and convicts Clancy of first-degree murder, she would face a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment without parole.
An acquittal by reason of insanity, however, would result in her being committed to a mental health facility for continued treatment and evaluation rather than being released.
The case has attracted intense national attention globally, particularly because of the competing arguments over postpartum psychosis, criminal responsibility and the understanding of severe postpartum psychiatric disorders.
