Lindsay Clancy’s trial is nearing its end after both the defense and prosecution shared their closing arguments about whether or not she should be found criminally responsible for killing her three children in January 2023.
The jury began deliberations on August 27, 2026, and many spectators have been left wondering how long it will take for them to reach a verdict as Clancy faces three counts of first-degree murder. As the general public awaits the outcome of the highly publicized case, legal expert Jennifer Roman weighed in on the timeline.
How Long Will It Take to Get a Verdict in Lindsay Clancy’s Murder Trial?
Roman, a legal analyst for WBZ-TV, told CBS News that it may take several days for the jury to come to a verdict.
“I don’t think we’re seeing a verdict before Monday or Tuesday of next week,” Roman said in an interview published on August 28, which marked the second day of deliberations.
Roman explained that jurors usually take a straw poll when they start deliberations in order to see how everyone is leaning going into the decision making process.
“Just by the sheer fact that they didn’t come back [Thursday] at 4:20 means they are not unanimous,” she said. “Even if it’s not guilty by reason of insanity, it has to be unanimous.”
Roman added that coming to a verdict “takes time” because the jurors have to consider the testimony from 85 witnesses, as well as the closing arguments of both sides.
“They have a lot of medical reports and notes and her journals. Although there’s not much of it, it’s going to take a while for them to get through it, and then they’re going to have to parse that out with the actual testimony,” Roman said.
How the Jury Selection May Impact Lindsay Clancy’s Verdict
The jury went from 18 jurors to 12 on August 27, with the final group consisting of nine women and three men.
Roman said the gender disparity “could work for either side.” She added, “Sometimes I think that women can be harsher on other women and hold them to a higher standard.”
However, Roman also noted that the women on the jury may be able to relate to Clancy’s experience.
“Presumably some of them are mothers or are grandmothers,” she speculated. “They may have had somebody in their life, including themselves, who may have suffered postpartum depression following a pregnancy or known someone who has and that could also color their perspective too.”
Inside the Verdict Options in Lindsay Clancy’s Case
Roman predicted the least likely outcome of the case will be that Clancy is not guilty, and she pointed to the fact that the defendant never denied killing her kids.
Clancy’s defense team argued that she committed the killings due to her mental health struggles, while the prosecution argued she should be held criminally responsible because they believe she sent her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, out of the home to commit the killings and attempted to take her own life afterwards.
Roman explained that the jury could potentially charge Clancy with the lesser charge of manslaughter, which would be a “compromise position.”
“Maybe they don’t find that it was premeditated. Maybe they find that she was off, she was struggling, but she could still conform her conduct to the law,” the legal expert said. “That’s your manslaughter charge. I think it does give the jury a little bit more breathing room.”
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