The high-profile murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, who is accused of killing her three children by strangulation before attempting to take her life, has ended in a mistrial after the jury reported for a third time that it could not reach a unanimous verdict.

Now that a mistrial has been formally entered, Clancy will remain held at a psychiatric facility pending further proceedings.

Judge William Sullivan told the court he had no choice but to declare a mistrial following the jury's note, which stated, “With a heavy heart, we report we are unable to come to a unanimous decision. We will not be able to.” The panel had deliberated for more than 36 hours over seven days in the case involving the deaths of Clancy's three children.

At the request of defense attorney Kevin Reddington, Sullivan granted a one-hour window for the defense to pursue an emergency stay from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court before formally dismissing the jury. The move came after the judge earlier declined to remove a juror whom the defense claimed was improperly refusing to apply the reasonable-doubt standard.

Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, stood accused of killing her three children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8-months-old, in their Duxbury home on January 24, 2023.

The trial centered on whether she was criminally responsible, with the defense arguing she suffered from postpartum psychosis and was overmedicated at the time. Prosecutors maintained she acted with intent.

What is a mistrial?

US Law Explained defines a mistrial as when “a jury cannot reach a verdict, or when a serious procedural error or misconduct makes a fair trial impossible and the judge ends the case without a decision on the merits. A mistrial is not an acquittal, nor is it a conviction; rather, it is a judicial determination that the ongoing proceeding cannot reach a valid, legally enforceable conclusion.”

Now that case has been classified as a mistrial, could Lindsay Clancy go free?

For now, Clancy would remain held under the same murder charges in the mental health facility where she is currently housed as lawyers weigh their next steps.

Plymouth County prosecutors, led by District Attorney Tim Cruz, will decide whether to retry the case before a new jury, pursue a plea agreement, or dismiss the charges. A retrial would require selecting a new panel and potentially repeating much of the evidence presentation.

Reddington has indicated he would continue representing Clancy in any subsequent proceedings.