The infamous trial of Lindsay Clancy faces a turning point in Plymouth Superior Court, with the jury working their way through complex processes after reporting a deadlock on Monday.
Lindsay Clancy, who allegedly strangled her three children–Cora, Dawson, and Callan–and tried to kill herself in January 2023, pleads not guilty by reason of insanity. Her legal team has insisted that, in January, she suffered from extreme postpartum psychosis with potential medication overload, while prosecutors are building a case around intentional planning.
With no unanimous decision after hours of deliberating, here are five decisions the jury may find.
Understanding guilty, not guilty, and insanity verdicts
The first three verdicts all directly depend on the woman’s mental status at the time the murder took place.
Guilty means that the jury has agreed with the prosecution that they proved beyond a reasonable doubt the planning and intent behind the alleged murders. The alternative, not guilty, will acquit her completely of the crimes.
The most contested option in the trial is “not guilty by reason of insanity.”
By Massachusetts law, a verdict of insanity means that the defendant didn’t understand her crime, or was unable to control her actions at the time because of an undiagnosed, unaddressed mental condition and, rather than face prison time, would be committed to a state psychiatric hospital long-term for assessment and evaluation.
However, if the jury wants to make a deal on the level of murder, they have the opportunity to reach a verdict on Less Included Offenses.
If the jury doesn’t think Clancy planned the crimes on purpose, but still believes she did something wrong, it’s possible to find her guilty of second-degree murder or even involuntary manslaughter, and in those cases, sentencing will vary depending on the charge.
The alternative is that the jury never agrees and will therefore need the judge to declare a mistrial.
If there’s no hung jury and further instructions are not provided to reach a verdict, all defendants would go through their original murder trial again.
