US judge declares mistrial in nurse's child murder case over postpartum psychosis

US Judge William Sullivan on Friday declared a mistrial in the case of Lindsay Clancy, a nurse accused of killing her three children in January 2023, after jurors informed the court they were deadlocked.

Sullivan expressed his intention to retry the case in the coming fall, while the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office has yet to decide whether to pursue a new trial.

The case has sparked widespread debate in the United States about maternal mental health after childbirth and how the legal system handles cases of mothers accused of killing their children.

The defense argued that Clancy, 36, was suffering from postpartum psychosis, while prosecutors maintained she was aware of the gravity of her actions.

Investigations revealed that Clancy strangled her three children—Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months—using exercise bands in the basement of their home in Duxbury, south of Boston, before attempting suicide by jumping from a window, which left her paralyzed.

US President Donald Trump described the incident as a "horrific tragedy," predicted a retrial, and stated that "a price will be paid."

Clancy remains in custody at a state hospital and is scheduled to appear in court for a follow-up hearing on September 29.

Her attorney, Kevin Reddington, called the mistrial a victory for the defense and blamed one juror for preventing an acquittal.

The judge rejected a request to dismiss the juror, and the Massachusetts Supreme Court denied the defense's emergency request for further investigation into the juror's adherence to court instructions.

Prosecutors said Clancy, a former maternity nurse at Massachusetts Hospital, planned her suicide and killed her children believing they would suffer without her.

The prosecution focused on evidence that she sent her husband out to buy food and medication before the crime.

Family testimony and case background

Her former husband, Patrick Clancy, and other family members testified that she experienced mental health issues after the birth of their third child, sought treatment, and was prescribed several medications.

Patrick stated that his wife had been discharged from a psychiatric hospital weeks before the incident and showed no signs of intending to harm herself or their children.

Upon returning home, he found her injured and she told him she had attempted suicide, after which he discovered the children in the basement.

The trial has drawn comparisons to the 2001 Andrea Yates case in Texas, in which Yates was later acquitted due to postpartum psychosis.