PLYMOUTH, Mass. — The lawyer for Lindsay Clancy is urging a judge to dismiss the murder charges against her, arguing that the prosecution lacks sufficient proof she killed her three children. The request marks a significant pivot from the strategy employed during the trial that ended in September with a deadlocked jury.
Attorney Kevin Reddington made the argument during a hearing on Tuesday before Judge William Sullivan, who presided over the initial trial. The jury in that proceeding was split 11-to-1 in favor of acquittal, with one juror holding out for a murder conviction before the mistrial was declared on Sept. 4.
“This entire case is based on speculation,” Reddington told the court. He contended that there is inadequate evidence to establish that Clancy committed the killings. In his motion, he pointed to Clancy’s physical condition when she was discovered badly injured and bleeding in the yard outside her home, as well as her reported lack of memory regarding the events after she awoke in the hospital.
During the original trial, Reddington did not contest that Clancy caused the deaths of 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan at their family residence in 2023. Instead, the defense focused on Clancy’s mental state, arguing that the 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse was suffering from postpartum psychosis—a rare mental illness—and therefore should not be held criminally responsible.
However, at the recent hearing, Reddington shifted tactics, questioning whether the evidence could support a conviction at all. He asked, “Where is the admission? Where does she say that she did this?” Reddington did not present alternative theories or evidence identifying another suspect.
Prosecutor Shanan Buckingham dismissed the defense’s new position as “laughable.” In court papers filed Monday, prosecutors reiterated that there was ample evidence to convict. They maintain that Clancy knew her actions were wrong when she used exercise bands to strangle her children. Prosecutors also argued that she deliberately orchestrated the evening by sending her husband out to pick up medication and dinner, ensuring he would not be present.
Testimony from Clancy’s ex-husband and first responders during the first trial indicated that they arrived at the house and found her having attempted suicide shortly after the children’s deaths.
Judge Sullivan did not issue an immediate ruling on the motion to dismiss, and no date has been set for a potential second trial. Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz stated that prosecutors are still deliberating their next steps. They may pursue a retrial on first-degree murder charges, seek to try Clancy on lesser charges such as second-degree murder or manslaughter, or drop the case entirely.
“We are going to do what we can for the children,” Cruz told reporters outside the courtroom. “That is what this case is about.”
The legal proceedings have also become entangled in disputes over the holdout juror. Clancy’s attorneys have asked the judge to remove the juror, Michael Desronvil, arguing he refused to follow the law regarding reasonable doubt. Desronvil, through his own lawyer, has denied this, stating he had no doubts about his stance. He recently told Fox News’ “Hannity” that the focus should remain on the victims, whom he referred to as “the three angels.”
Clancy remains in custody at a psychiatric hospital pending the resolution of her case. The high-profile, livestreamed trial has drawn national attention to maternal mental health issues following childbirth, and a small group of supporters, many wearing pink, gathered outside the court on Tuesday.
Editor’s Note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.
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