Judge orders jury to continue deliberations in Lindsay Clancy trial

Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial were set to resume deliberations Wednesday, after informing the judge they could not agree on whether she was criminally responsible for killing her three children. On Tuesday, the jury sent a note to Judge William Sullivan stating their inability to reach a unanimous decision, which is required for a conviction or acquittal. Sullivan instructed them to continue deliberations.

Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, does not deny strangling her children but asserts that postpartum psychosis led to her actions. Prosecutors contend she was aware of her actions, driven by depression and a desire to end her life and her children's. Clancy has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility.

Testimony included accounts of her declining mental health and differing expert opinions on her psychiatric state at the time of the killings. If the jury remains deadlocked, the judge could declare a mistrial, leaving prosecutors to decide on retrial, dropping charges, or negotiating a plea deal. Clancy's defense attorney, Brad Bailey, noted that a mistrial would essentially return the case to its pre-trial status, with prosecutors deciding whether to pursue a new trial or offer a plea deal. He also suggested that the defense would likely lobby against a retrial, highlighting Clancy's paralysis and the loss of her children. The case has drawn divided public reaction, with some sympathizers focusing on maternal mental health and others viewing her actions as evil and selfish. The livestreamed trial has drawn attention to postpartum mental health issues.