Key facts
- Lindsay Clancy's murder trial for killing her three children ended in a mistrial.
- Clancy's lawyer, Kevin Reddington, asked President Donald Trump to consider a pardon.
- Presidential pardon powers typically apply to federal crimes, not state ones.
- Trump has previously issued pardons for state-level convictions.
- The defense argued Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis.
- Prosecutors contended the killings were premeditated.
Lindsay Clancy's murder trial for the deaths of her three young children in Duxbury, Massachusetts, has ended in a mistrial after the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. Following the mistrial, Clancy's attorney, Kevin Reddington, appealed to President Donald Trump to consider a pardon for his client.
Reddington made the request during an appearance on ABC's "Good Morning America," citing Clancy's personal circumstances and what she has endured. However, presidential pardon powers are generally limited to federal crimes, and Clancy was tried in the state criminal justice system. Despite this limitation, President Trump has previously issued pardons for state-level convictions, such as that of former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters, who was convicted of election-related charges.
President Trump has previously commented on the case, calling it a "shame" and a "horrible tragedy," and suggesting that Clancy would face consequences such as "mental institution or jail." The defense argued that Clancy was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis and was not legally culpable, while prosecutors contended that the killings were premeditated. The jury deliberated for over 38 hours, reportedly split 11-1 in favor of a not guilty verdict, leading to the mistrial. The state may now pursue a retrial.
Clancy, 36, is accused of strangling her children, Cora, five; Dawson, three; and Callan, eight months old, in January 2023. She also attempted suicide by jumping out a window, leaving her paralyzed. Her defense called forensic psychiatrist Dr. Phillip Resnick, who testified that Clancy was psychotic at the time of the crime due to severe depression and anxiety exacerbated by childbirth.