Mistrial declared in U.S. case against Lindsay Clancy, accused of killing her three children

After nearly six weeks of testimony and seven days of deliberations, the trial of Lindsay Clancy ended without a verdict. A Massachusetts judge declared a mistrial when the 12 jurors could not agree unanimously on whether she was criminally responsible for killing her three children.

Clancy, a former nurse, admitted killing five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson and eight-month-old Callan at the family home in January 2023. Her defense argued that she suffered from postpartum psychosis and therefore could not be held criminally responsible. Clancy said during the trial that a voice had ordered her to kill the children.

Psychiatrists, relatives and Clancy’s former husband, the children’s father, described her state of despair. The court, however, did not have a medical diagnosis confirming the condition. Postpartum psychosis can cause delusions or hallucinations in the weeks or months after childbirth, and support organizations say it affects one or two women in every 1,000 births.

The case drew extensive attention in the United States and fueled a bitter public debate about maternal mental health after childbirth. President Donald Trump called it “a terrible tragedy” and said in Washington that he expected another trial.

An appeals court rejected a last-minute defense request to replace a juror who had not agreed with the other 11 members, who apparently favored finding Clancy not criminally responsible. Under U.S. criminal procedure, a jury must reach a unanimous verdict. A mistrial means there is neither a conviction nor an acquittal, although prosecutors can generally seek a new trial.

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A terrible tragedy.