What happens next after mistrial in Lindsay Clancy murder case?

Published September 4, 2026 12:00 PM MST

After more than a week of deliberations, the jury in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial remained deadlocked, prompting a mistrial and leaving prosecutors to decide what comes next in the case involving the deaths of her three children.

Judge William Sullivan scheduled a status hearing for Sept. 29 and indicated if the Commonwealth wishes to proceed, he would ideally like to retry the case later this fall, although no definitive timetable has been set.

What’s next for Lindsey Clancy

Big picture view:

The case will now proceed to the same status as before the trial. Lindsay Clancy will still be charged with murder, and she will continue being held in state custody in the psychiatric hospital where she was being held while awaiting trial. 

Prosecutors must now decide whether to retry Clancy before a new jury or pursue another resolution. If they seek a retrial, the jury selection process would begin again and a new trial date would need to be scheduled. Attorneys could also file additional motions, including requests involving where the case is tried.

The timing of any retrial could depend on several factors, including the process of selecting a new jury, the court’s schedule and the availability of witnesses.

Kevin Reddington, defense attorney for Lindsay Clancy, and Lindsay Clancy look on as Judge William Sullivan (out of frame) instructs the jury to continue deliberating, during Lindsay Clancy's murder trial at the Plymouth County Superior Court in Plym

What's next:

Clancy is expected to remain in state custody while the criminal case remains unresolved unless her attorneys successfully seek a change in her custody or bail status. Prosecutors and the defense could also resume negotiations and potentially reach a plea agreement rather than proceed with another trial.

The case against Lindsay Clancy

Clancy was 34 when she was charged with the 2023 deaths of daughter Cora, 5, and sons Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months. Prosecutors said Clancy strangled the children inside the family’s Duxbury home before attempting suicide by jumping from a second-story window. 

Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, doesn’t deny strangling her children in the basement of their home and her attorney argued that postpartum psychosis led to her actions.

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The five-week trial had over 80 witnesses, including Clancy’s ex-husband, multiple psychologists and psychiatrist, and many additional friends and relatives testifying in her defense. 

What we know:

Prosecutors argued Clancy acted with intent, pointing to evidence that she planned the killings and carried them out while her husband briefly stepped out to pick up dinner. They said her actions were deliberate and methodical, and that she understood what she was doing the whole time, fully aware that it was wrong. 

The other side:

Controversy arose as Clancy’s defense presented arguments that she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis, a rare but severe condition that can cause hallucinations, delusions and extreme disorientation. Defense attorneys said she was prescribed multiple medications in the weeks leading up to the killings and was overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts she could not control. 


 

The Source: This story was written with information provided by The Associated Press, Fox News Digital, live viewing from court proceedings and previous FOX Local reporting. This story was reported from Orlando.


 

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