A Massachusetts judge declared a mistrial on Friday in the high-profile murder case of Lindsay Clancy, a former nurse charged with killing her three young children, after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
"At this point, I'm going to declare that the jury is deadlocked and I'm going to declare a mistrial," Judge William Sullivan told the jury, dismissing them after weeks of testimony and seven days of deliberations. The panel had signalled three times that it was deadlocked.
A hung jury does not mean prosecutors have proven their case, nor does it mean the defendant is not guilty.
Clancy, 36, does not deny killing her children in 2023 but pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder. Her lawyers argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time and should not be held criminally responsible.
The victims were five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson, and eight-month-old Callan. They were strangled in the family's Massachusetts home. After killing the children, Clancy cut herself with a knife and jumped from a second-story window in an apparent attempt to take her own life, leaving her paralysed.
Clancy will remain held on the same murder charges and continue to be housed in the mental health facility where she is currently staying. A hearing was scheduled for 29 September, at which prosecutors are expected to outline their next steps.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said no decisions would be made immediately. "There will be no decisions made today," he said on Friday. He added that he would meet with his legal team to decide whether to pursue a new trial.
Cruz maintained that the evidence supported the prosecution's position. "The facts are Lindsay Clancy killed her three children and the evidence suggested to us that she was in control of her actions when she committed those homicides," he said.
Prosecutors could choose from several options going forward, including holding a new trial or reaching a plea agreement with Clancy.
Outside the court, defence attorney Reddington said he believed 11 of the 12 jurors would have delivered a verdict favouring Clancy had it not been for a single holdout. It remains unclear what position any individual juror took or what occurred during deliberations.
The case drew intense public attention throughout the trial, sparking widespread debate over postpartum psychosis and maternal mental health. More than 200 members of the media crowded the courthouse each day, groups of supporters gathered outside, and many members of the public followed proceedings via livestream.
The case also drew comment from US President Donald Trump, who called it a "horrible tragedy" on Friday. "She did a horrible, horrible thing. Can't be worse," he said. "I assume there's going to be another trial." Trump added: "But you'll find out what the price to pay is. There'll be a price."
