Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial in the deaths of her three young children ended without a verdict in September 2026 — and nearly a month later, a judge again rejected her defense team’s push to have the charges thrown out entirely.
Judge William Sullivan denied a motion filed by Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, seeking to have her found not guilty on all three first-degree murder charges. The ruling came down on October 1, 2026, nearly one month after Clancy’s nearly seven-week trial ended in a mistrial on September 4, 2026, when the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Clancy has been accused of killing her three children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — in January 2023.
As the future of her case remains uncertain, Us breaks down the findings of the trial and shares if Clancy testified.
Did Lindsay Clancy Testify During Her Trial?
While the defense and prosecution gathered several witnesses – including doctors, family members and the defendant’s ex-husband, Patrick Clancy – Lindsay did not take the stand during the trial.
Kevin Reddington’s Latest Push to Dismiss Lindsay Clancy’s Case
During a hearing on September 29, 2026, Reddington argued the charges should be dropped because prosecutors, in his view, failed to prove that Lindsay killed her three children during the lengthy trial.
Reddington previously did not dispute that Lindsay strangled her three children. His earlier argument was that she was not criminally responsible due to postpartum psychosis and other mental health struggles she was facing at the time of her kids’ deaths.
He has since shifted his approach. On September 29, Reddington stated that there was never a full investigation into the deaths of Lindsay’s children and that authorities “just immediately assumed that this woman was guilty.”
Two days later, Sullivan shut down the request to have Clancy’s charges dropped.
“With respect to the elements of murder and the identity of who committed the alleged crimes, the evidence presented by the Commonwealth in its case in chief … was sufficient to satisfy any rational trier of fact beyond a reasonable doubt,” Sullivan wrote.
Where Does the Lindsay Clancy Case Stand Now?
Despite Sullivan’s refusal to drop the charges after more than three attempts by Reddington, the future of the case is currently unclear. Both Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz and Lindsay’s defense team have not publicly commented on whether they’re in the process of plea negotiations. Cruz has also not shared whether the prosecution wants the triple-murder case to go back to trial.
Lindsay still has another motion to dismiss the case that is currently pending in court.
In late August and early September 2026, the jury deliberated for seven days before determining they could not come to a unanimous decision. While 11 of the jurors found Lindsay not guilty by reason of insanity, one holdout juror refused to find her not guilty.
Judge William Sullivan’s Mistrial Declaration
The mistrial itself came only after Lindsay’s defense team exhausted an emergency appeal to the highest court in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court concluded an emergency hearing on September 4, 2026, ultimately denying an appeal filed by Clancy’s defense attorney after Sullivan shared his intention to declare a mistrial amid the deadlocked jury.
Sullivan granted Reddington an hour to seek an emergency stay before a mistrial was formally declared, according to CNN. When the judge ultimately addressed the jury, he reached for an unusual historical frame.
“I’m kind of a history buff and during World War II, Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of England when England pretty much stood against Nazi Germany alone,” Sullivan said while addressing the jury before declaring a mistrial in the controversial case. “So Churchill [often] had to talk to the citizens and let us brace for our duties. I always like that phrase, and I thought of that phrase when all of you were agreeing to be on this jury. You agreed to brace for that duty and each one of you knew how long the case was going to go, you knew how difficult the case was going to be to listen to, facts-wise. But still, you braced for that duty.”
He continued, “I watched every day, day after day, week after week, [and] all of you [were] performing that duty that you braced for. And I kind of wanted to let you know: I understand how hard everyone worked in this case. I understood you all gave everything you could and probably more than you thought you could … I just want to thank you so much. You should be proud of what you did. You braced for that duty. You performed that duty.”
Call or text the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 833-852-6262 for free, confidential support, available 24/7 in the U.S.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
