The Lindsay Clancy case: everything so far

Clancy and her family in sometime in January 2023, weeks before she allegedly killed her children. (Public Domain)

By Aiden Damasco, Features Editor & Web Developer

On September 4, 2026, Judge William Sullivan of the Massachusetts Superior Court declared a mistrial for the case of Lindsay Clancy. After one week, the jury deadlocked at 11-1 in favor of finding Clancy not criminally responsible.

Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse living in Duxbury, Massachusetts, had given birth to her third son, Callan, in May of 2022. In the following months, Clancy reportedly suffered from severe postpartum anxiety and depression, as well as additional mental health problems.

On January 24, 2023, Clancy killed her three children, Cora (5), Dawson (3), and Callan (8 months) at their home in Duxbury. Clancy was charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

Throughout the trial, Clancy’s defense was centered heavily on her mental state, raising the question whether her mental condition affected her ability to understand and/or control her actions at the time of her children’s deaths. Her defense further argued that as she had been suffering from severe mental illness, Clancy should not be found guilty by reason of insanity.

However, prosecutors have claimed that the killings had been premeditated and cruel, and that a guilty verdict would bring justice to the children. Patrick Clancy, the ex-husband and father of the three children, was married to Lindsay Clancy at the time of their deaths and is now her ex-husband.

The singular holdout juror had been accused by Clancy’s defense of refusing to follow the law on reasonable doubt. Clancy’s defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, had asked Judge Sullivan to dismiss the holdout juror. However, Judge Sullivan declined, and appeals to the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts were denied. After the jury could still not reach a verdict, Judge Sullivan declared a mistrial.

The case is still ongoing, with Timothy Cruz, the Plymouth County District Attorney, not stating when or whether prosecutors will retry Clancy. A status hearing for Clancy’s case was held on September 29, 2026. 

During the status hearing, Clancy’s defense argued the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence Clancy had committed the killings. The hearing ended with Judge Sullivan scheduling the next court date to November 2, 2026, to further address the case.