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Thursday, August 27, 2026
"Where Africa Comes to Stay Informed."
Tensions have intensified in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial after her defense asked the judge to remove a juror it claims has refused to follow the court’s instructions, as deliberations entered a sixth day without a verdict.
The jury has now spent approximately 36 hours deliberating in the Massachusetts trial, but has been unable to reach a unanimous decision.
During Thursday's proceedings, defense attorney Kevin Reddington told Judge William Sullivan that one juror was allegedly refusing to follow the judge's instructions. Reddington asked the court to remove the juror.
The judge, however, indicated that he did not want to take sides in the jury's deliberations. He individually questioned jurors about whether they could follow his instructions.
Judge Sullivan subsequently reminded the jury that they were required to follow the legal instructions given to them.
He also reiterated the standard concerning reasonable doubt before sending the jurors back to continue their discussions.
The development came after the jury had already reported being deadlocked twice.
On Wednesday, jurors told the judge they remained unable to reach a unanimous decision. Sullivan responded by giving them a Tuey-Rodriguez instruction, encouraging them to continue deliberating and attempt to reach a verdict if they could do so conscientiously.
The prolonged deadlock has raised the possibility of a mistrial.
Legal experts cited in the source said that if the jury remains unable to reach a verdict, the judge could eventually declare a mistrial. If that happens, prosecutors could potentially decide whether to retry the case, drop or alter charges, or pursue plea negotiations.
For now, however, the jury has been instructed to continue its work.
At the end of Thursday's sixth day of deliberations, Judge Sullivan sent the jurors home and instructed them to return at 9 a.m. Friday.
Clancy has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder stemming from the deaths of her three young children at the family's home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023.
Her defense has argued that she was experiencing postpartum psychosis at the time of the incident.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, argue that Clancy should be held criminally responsible for the children's deaths.
If convicted, she could face life imprisonment without parole. If she is found not criminally responsible, the source reports that she would be sent to a state mental health facility.
The trial has also been surrounded by a separate incident involving alleged juror intimidation.
Dawn Light, 56, pleaded not guilty to aggravated intimidation of a juror after police alleged she attempted to photograph jurors outside the courthouse.
Authorities said Light was allegedly found recording jurors as they left court. She was later released on her own recognizance and ordered to stay away from jurors and witnesses connected to the case.
With the jury having already spent six days deliberating, attention now turns to whether jurors can overcome their disagreements and reach a unanimous verdict.
The defense's request to remove a juror has added another layer of tension to an already closely watched case.
For now, the deliberations continue, with the court expected to reconvene Friday morning.
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