A foreperson told NBC10 that a lone juror stopped Lindsay Clancy from being found not guilty by reason of insanity, even after telling the other jurors he harbored reasonable doubt. The judge called a mistrial four days before the interview aired on Boston’s NBC10 because the jury could not agree on whether Clancy was criminally responsible for killing her three young children in 2023.
Clancy, who is a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, never denied killing the children. Her lawyer argued that she had lost control of her mind due to a rare condition called postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness tied to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal shifts that come after giving birth. The attorneys for the state countered that Clancy acted deliberately when she strangled 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan Clancy using exercise bands.
The Holdout Juror’s Change of Mind
NBC10 reported that Foreperson Ronni Carlson believed the group had finally persuaded the juror who was pushing for conviction to vote for acquittal. Carlson said that juror admitted he had reasonable doubt.
“He admitted he had reasonable doubt. I started filling out the forms, I was so excited. There were three forms I had to fill out, and I started filling them out. I wrote my signature on each one,” Carlson said.
“And then he said, ‘But I’m still not going to say that she’s not guilty by reason of insanity.'”
The judge has put the jurors’ names under seal for now. The juror who refused to agree with the rest of the panel has not stepped forward to give his reasons.
Seven Days of Deliberations
For seven days, three jurors described deliberations that failed to produce a verdict. The judge received notes from jurors on three separate occasions stating that a unanimous decision could not be reached. Carlson sent his own note, complaining that one juror would not follow the court’s instructions about reasonable doubt.
Paula Devlin, a juror, said the person who refused to go along with the group judgment had an inflated sense of his own worth.
“He really did not take anything that anybody said,” she told NBC10.
The judge read his instructions on reasonable doubt again and questioned the jurors, asking them to keep at it. The jury could not reach an agreement.
Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, said he believed Clancy would have been found not guilty by reason of insanity without that one juror’s stubbornness. Jurors know “they were robbed by one man, for whatever his agenda was, who stole seven weeks of the life of these other jurors that were so attentive, so beautiful, so wonderful,” he said.
What the Jury Heard
Across 21 days of testimony, jurors were told about Clancy’s mental health fell apart after the birth of her youngest child. They heard from Clancy’s family members, who detailed her decline, and from doctors who treated her during the months leading up to the killings.
According to Carlson, the proof showed Clancy loved her children. She cited Clancy’s journals and testimony from her former mother-in-law, who described Clancy as a nurturing and loving mother.
“So she had to have snapped, and not known what she was doing,” Carlson told NBC10. “To me, it was proof that she didn’t know what she was doing.”
Kellie Farina, a juror, said the lawyers for the state showed no feeling and came across as cold.
“I know it’s their job, but in a case like this, you expect a little bit,” she said.
Jurors also heard the 911 call Clancy’s then-husband made when he found the children strangled. Farina called it “the most horrific thing.” The jury played it again in the deliberation room, and jurors cried.
“We were just like, ‘My God, the desperation.’ The despair in his voice was … it’s something that will stick with me,” Farina said.
Possible Results for Clancy
If Clancy were found guilty of murder, she could have been sentenced to life behind bars. A finding of not guilty by reason of insanity would mean the judge could order her confined to a mental health facility instead. That confinement would continue until a mental health evaluation concluded she was no longer a danger to the public if set free. She could also still face a second trial.
- Clancy killed Cora, Dawson and Callan in 2023.
- She never disputed that she killed them.
- Her attorney cited postpartum psychosis as the cause.
- The lawyers for the state said she contrived to get her husband out of the house by sending him to pick up medicine for one of their children and dinner for the family.
There is no resolution yet. Reddington has already sought a pardon from President Trump following the mistrial.
If you are facing suicidal thoughts, substance use issues or any other mental health crises, reach out to a trained crisis counselor by calling or texting 988, who are available around the clock for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Alternatively, you can visit 988lifeline.org or dial 800-273-8255 for assistance.
The juror who refused to find her not guilty by reason of insanity, even while admitting reasonable doubt, has never been explained. Carlson believed the group had succeeded. It did not.
AP reporter Jessica Hill reported from Las Vegas.
Source: abc7chicago.com
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