Sep 03, 2026, 3:19 PM EDT
Judge polling jurors at sidebar
The judge is polling the jurors individually at sidebar.
Clancy is present while this occurs.
It was preceded by a disagreement between the two parties.
Lindsay Clancy trial: Judge declares mistrial after emergency request denied
The defense blamed one juror for the deadlock.
Last Updated: September 4, 2026, 4:42 PM EDT
The murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mom who killed her three young children while in the family's home on Jan. 24, 2023, ended Friday in a mistrial after seven days of juror deadlock.
Clancy's defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, claimed throughout that trial that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she strangled her children and attempted to take her own life. The prosecutors, Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham, argued that Clancy -- who pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder -- is criminally responsible for her children's deaths.
Judge William Sullivan, who oversaw the trial, set a court date of Sept. 29, 2026, to reconvene and determine next steps.
See below how the final days of the trial unfolded.
Watch a special edition of "20/20," "The Trial of Lindsay Clancy," airing Friday, Sept. 4, at 9/8c on ABC, streaming the next day on Disney+ and Hulu.
Disney is the parent company of ABC News and Hulu.
Key Headlines
- Sep 04, 2026, 4:41 PM EDT
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Sep 03, 2026, 3:17 PM EDT
Courtroom called to order as judge sidebars with attorneys and Clancy
About 35 hours into deliberations, the courtroom was called to order. Judge William Sullivan immediately summoned both sides to a sidebar to eventually include Clancy herself.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington and prosecutor Jennifer Sprague clearly disagreed about something.
The sidebar is ongoing.
Sep 03, 2026, 10:30 AM EDT
What happens if there is a mistrial?
After deliberations spanning more than five days, the jury in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy has still not reached a verdict.
On Wednesday afternoon, after the jury reported they were at an impasse for a second time in as many days, Judge William Sullivan read the jury a Tuey-Rodriguez instruction, encouraging them to continue working together toward a verdict and to remember it is their "duty to decide this case if you can do so conscientiously."
Sending the jury back to deliberate again could force a hung jury if the deadlock continues, legal experts say.
"At that point, the judge has to declare a mistrial, unless he has the consent of the jury who would want to go out again, and that's rather doubtful," Boston-based criminal defense attorney Peter Elikann said in an interview with ABC News on Wednesday. "This is really it. This is kind of the final push."
If a mistrial is declared, prosecutors could decide to try the case again, drop the charges, change the charges, or begin plea negotiations with Clancy, according to legal experts.
Click here for what to know about a potential mistrial.
Sep 03, 2026, 9:51 AM EDT
Lindsay Clancy's family in attendance as day 6 of deliberations get underway
Lindsay Clancy, in a brown sweater over a green top, chatted quietly with defense attorney Kevin Reddington prior to the jury entering. Her parents and sister are sitting in their usual seats behind her, in the second row.
Judge William Sullivan asked whether jurors had read or seen anything that would impact their ability to be fair and whether they had anything to bring to his attention.
Jurors said no and filed out to resume deliberations, beginning a 31st hour.
