Lindsay Clancy's attorney seeks deal after mistrial in triple child murder case

A Massachusetts murder trial ended in mistrial after a single juror refused to acquit. Clancy's lawyer now hopes to reach a deal with prosecutors.

Clancy mistrial: defence seeks plea deal, pardon request rejected

The lawyer representing Lindsay Clancy — the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her three children — has said he hopes to reach a negotiated agreement with prosecutors, following a mistrial declared last Friday. bbc.com reports that attorney Kevin Reddington expressed his frustration after a single holdout juror prevented an acquittal.

Reddington told ABC's Good Morning America that the lone juror "would not apply the law of reasonable doubt" as instructed by the presiding judge. "That's not right," he said. "And that's why I was upset."

The jury — nine women and three men — had been weighing options ranging from not guilty by reason of insanity to manslaughter and first-degree murder. All 12 members were required to reach a unanimous verdict. The panel came close to a consensus, but the single holdout blocked any outcome.

Clancy does not deny killing her three children — Cora, Dawson and Callan — at the family's Massachusetts home in January 2023. Her defence has argued she was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time and that there was no premeditation. For a first-degree murder conviction, prosecutors would need to prove she planned the killings.

Throughout the trial, the prosecution called dozens of witnesses, including several medical doctors, in an attempt to establish that Clancy made a calculated decision to kill her children in the basement of the family home.

Regarding a possible next step, Reddington said he was willing to engage with District Attorney Tim Cruz. "I would hope that Tim would be able to work something out that would be acceptable to both sides," he said, describing Cruz as a "hard-charging prosecutor".

Reddington also made a public appeal to President Donald Trump, asking him to consider a pardon for Clancy. However, because Clancy was charged under state law, only the Governor of Massachusetts holds the authority to grant a pardon — not the federal president. BBC has contacted both the Plymouth County district attorney's office and the governor's office for comment.

Under Massachusetts law, Reddington has five days to file a motion asking the judge to independently rule Clancy not guilty based on the evidence presented at trial. The decision on whether to pursue a retrial currently rests with the prosecution.

With additional reporting from Ione Wells.

Source: Google News MT