“At this point, I’m going to declare that the jury is deadlocked and I’m going to declare a mistrial,” Judge William Sullivan told the jury on Friday, dismissing them after weeks of testimony, seven days mulling Clancy’s fate and the panel signalling three times that they were deadlocked.
The deadlock – known as a hung jury – does not mean prosecutors have proven their case, nor does it mean the defendant is not guilty.
A hearing was scheduled for 29 September, in which prosecutors could outline their next steps in the case.
Meanwhile, the 36-year-old former nurse will remain held on the same murder charges and continue to stay in the mental health facility in which she is currently housed.
Prosecutors could decide from a host of options as to what happens next, including holding another trial or coming to a plea agreement with Clancy over the strangulation of her children – five-year-old Cora, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan – in their Massachusetts home.
After killing the children, Clancy cut herself with a knife and jumped from a second-story window in an attempt to take her own life, which left her paralysed.
Clancy does not deny killing the children in 2023 but pleaded not guilty to the three first-degree murder charges, with her lawyers arguing she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and so should not be held criminally responsible.
“There will be no decisions made today,” Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said on Friday concerning what could happen next in the case.
He said he would meet the rest of their legal team to decide whether they would pursue a new trial.
“The facts are Lindsay Clancy killed her three children and the evidence suggested to us that she was in control of her actions when she committed those homicides,” Cruz said.
Outside the court on Friday, Reddington said he believed 11 of the 12 jurors would have delivered a verdict that favoured Clancy had it not been for the one holdout.
But it remains unclear what position any member of the jury took or what occurred in the deliberation room.
For weeks, the case gripped the country and sparked debate over the topic of postpartum psychosis. Many followed along with livestreams of the trial, as family members and experts testified. Each day, more than 200 members of the media crowded the court and groups of supporters in varying sizes often gathered outside.
The widespread attention even spurred comments on Friday from US President Donald Trump, who called the case a “horrible tragedy”.
“She did a horrible, horrible thing. Can’t be worse,” he said. “I assume there’s going to be another trial.”
Trump added: “But you’ll find out what the price to pay is. There’ll be a price.”
If you are suffering distress or despair and need support, you could speak to a health professional, or an organisation that offers support. Details of help available in many countries can be found at Befrienders Worldwide, external. www.befrienders.org.
A list of UK organisations that can help is available here.