Clancy murder trial ends in hung jury after attorney’s effort to avoid mistrial fails

Lindsay Clancy returned to Tewksbury State Hospital on Friday afternoon after a judge declared a mistrial in her murder trial. The jury failed to reach a verdict, ending the proceedings after days of reported deadlock.

Clancy, who has spent most of her time at the hospital since her three children were killed, was transported there in a sheriff’s department van. She remains in custody under psychiatric care. She is paralyzed and uses a wheelchair after jumping from a window on the night her children died.

Her former husband, Patrick Clancy, was the first witness to testify at the trial. In a statement issued through his attorney, David Meier, he thanked the court and jurors for their work but said the loss of his children had left him without closure. “The prospect of reliving this tragedy through another trial is extraordinarily painful, for Patrick, for his family, and for all us,” the statement said.

“

The loss of Patrick's children is something from which he will never recover and from which there will never be closure. The prospect of reliving this tragedy through another trial is extraordinarily painful, for Patrick, for his family, and for all us.

Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, told reporters she was “not good” after the mistrial was declared. He gave the same response when asked about her parents, who attended the trial. Reddington said Clancy would be prepared if Plymouth District Attorney Tim Cruz pursued a retrial, with the judge indicating that proceedings could resume in the fall.

The mistrial was formally declared at 2:23 p.m. Friday. CBS Boston reported that the women on the jury appeared upset, while courtroom reporter Kristina Rex described the outcome as sad but unsurprising after the jury had remained deadlocked for days.

“

She'll be ready. She'll be ready.