Lindsay Clancy mistrial: fundraiser for holdout juror exceeds $126,000

An online fundraiser for the lone juror who refused to acquit Lindsay Clancy has surpassed $126,000 US. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis offered the man "asylum" after a media outlet reported on his past.

Holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy case receives $126,000 in public support after mistrial

An online fundraiser for the lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial has surpassed $126,000 US and raised its goal to $150,000, Toronto Sun Crime reports. The unidentified man was the only one of twelve jurors who voted to convict Clancy, and his refusal to change his verdict resulted in a hung jury and a mistrial.

The GiveSendGo campaign, titled Stand With the Juror and started by Tom Hennessey, describes the juror as a man who assessed the facts of the case rather than the defence's medical arguments.

"One juror held his seat. He looked at what she did, not the brand of Zoloft," the fundraiser reads. "The judge left him on. The jury hung. Mistrial. Now she can be tried again for killing her children instead of getting a standing ovation for her symptoms."

The campaign states the funds are intended to cover security costs, legal fees, and lost income in the event of professional fallout. "We're not letting this slide. If they come for him, and they will, this is to cover security, lawyers, and lost work," the message continues.

Background on the juror

Broadcaster WBTS reported that the holdout, believed to be a man in his 30s, was charged in 2021 with assaulting his then-wife, though that charge was later dismissed. According to the outlet, his nephew — who was 13 at the time — called police after alleging he witnessed his uncle grab the woman by the throat and throw her into a dresser.

The couple divorced after the charge was dropped. His ex-wife reportedly declined to testify in any related proceedings out of concern over custody of her daughter. The nephew, however, still holds an active restraining order against his uncle referencing the 2021 incident. An affidavit filed by the nephew also alleged that the juror pushed him to the ground and repeatedly struck him in the face.

DeSantis offers 'asylum'

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis amplified the WBTS report on X, framing the coverage as an effort to smear the juror.

"A man objected to allowing a woman to kill her three young kids and get away with it, so NBC is trying to smear that juror, whose identity should be protected," DeSantis wrote. "Another low for legacy media."

DeSantis added that Florida would step in if the juror faced harassment. "If the juror is being harassed, Florida will provide asylum — I'm sure he'd be welcomed and appreciated," he wrote.

The Clancy case

Lindsay Clancy does not dispute that she killed her three children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan — in January 2023 at the family home in Massachusetts. Her defence argues she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis at the time and was therefore not criminally responsible for the deaths. Clancy reportedly attempted suicide immediately after, cutting her wrists and jumping from a second-storey window.

Prosecutors acknowledged the diagnosis of serious mental illness but argued that Clancy retained the ability to understand and control her actions at the time of the killings.

The trial, which began in July and lasted more than a month, ended with eleven jurors voting not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility. The lone holdout voted to convict. Before the mistrial was formally declared, Clancy's attorney Kevin Reddington moved to have the holdout removed from the jury, citing a note from the jury foreperson alleging the man was refusing to apply the reasonable doubt standard. The judge denied the request after questioning each juror individually.

The next court hearing in the case is scheduled for September 29.

Source: Toronto Sun Crime