World · North America · 8 hrs ago
Massachusetts Judge Rejects Bid to Dismiss Lindsay Clancy’s Murder Charges
A Massachusetts judge has kept murder charges against Lindsay Clancy in place in the deaths of her three young children.
The case concerns the children’s deaths at the family’s home in Duxbury, near Boston, in January 2023.
Clancy’s first trial ended in a mistrial in September after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Judge William Sullivan ruled that a retrial would not violate her protection against being tried twice for the same crime, rejecting her lawyers’ request to dismiss the charges.
Her defence has argued that she was experiencing postpartum psychosis and should be found not criminally responsible.
The judge also refused to let the defence investigate or question the holdout juror, saying that could improperly interfere with the juror’s privacy and deliberations.
A hearing on 16 November will address scheduling for a possible second trial, which the judge has suggested could begin in March.
A Massachusetts judge denied Lindsay Clancy’s request to dismiss the murder charges over the deaths of her three children.
Judge William Sullivan ruled that retrying Clancy would not violate her protection against double jeopardy.
The first trial ended in a mistrial in September after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
Clancy’s defence argued the judge should have questioned or removed the juror who favoured conviction before declaring a mistrial.
Prosecutors intend to retry her, but have not decided whether to pursue the same charges or a reduced charge.
A hearing on November 16 is scheduled to discuss the next steps.
- Who
- Lindsay Clancy, whose lawyers sought dismissal, and prosecutors seeking to retry her.
- What
- A judge denied the motion to dismiss the murder charges. He also rejected a prosecution request for a gag order.
- When
- The ruling was issued on Monday, November 9, 2026.
- Where
- Massachusetts, United States.
- Why
- Clancy’s lawyers argued that declaring a mistrial after the jury deadlocked was premature and made a retrial unconstitutional. The judge found there was manifest necessity for the mistrial.
Clancy’s defence
Prosecutors
Retrial
Clancy’s defence
The defence argued a retrial would violate Clancy’s protection against double jeopardy because the judge should not have declared a mistrial.
Prosecutors
Prosecutors intend to retry Clancy after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
Holdout juror
Clancy’s defence
The defence argued the judge should have questioned or removed the juror who favoured conviction and sought records relating to that juror.
Prosecutors
Prosecutors’ position on questioning or investigating the juror is not stated.
Clancy’s actions
Clancy’s defence
Her lawyer argued that postpartum psychosis left Clancy unable to control her behaviour.
Prosecutors
Prosecutors acknowledged her mental health problems but said she acted deliberately and understood her actions were wrong.
Clancy’s first trial ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
Judge William Sullivan denied the defence motion to dismiss the murder charges.
A hearing was scheduled to discuss the next steps and scheduling of a potential second trial.
- Judge
- William Sullivan
- Children
- Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months
- First trial
- Ended in a mistrial in September 2026
- Next hearing
- November 16, 2026
- Potential retrial
- The judge previously suggested it could begin in March
10 sources
Court ruling paves way for Lindsay Clancy's retrial for murder
Judge Rejects Motion to Dismiss Lindsay Clancy’s Murder Charges
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What people are saying
The court understands the frustration of the defendant and the jurors that despite the utmost diligence, the jury ultimately was unable to reach a verdict in this emotionally grueling and complicated case.
Because the court concludes that there was manifest necessity for a mistrial based on the jury's deadlock, a retrial on the murder indictments does not violate Clancy's right not to be placed in double jeopardy.
Although a mistrial may be expensive in both human and monetary costs, it is not to be avoided by intrusion into the jury's domain.