The Lindsay Clancy jury told the judge Tuesday it could not reach a unanimous verdict.
In a written note to Judge William Sullivan, the panel stated that after many hours of deliberation, they remained unable to agree. Sullivan responded by sending the nine women and three men back into the deliberation room, without a verdict, to keep working.
Clancy faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her three children, Cora, Dawson, and Callan. She does not dispute that she killed them. Her defense argues she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis when she did.
As originally reported, the central question for jurors is not what happened, but whether Clancy bears criminal responsibility for it. Her attorneys contend she does not, citing her mental state at the time of the killings.
The jury has several options before it. They can convict Clancy of first-degree murder, convict her on the lesser charge of second-degree murder, or find her guilty of manslaughter. They can also acquit her entirely, or return a finding that she was not criminally responsible for her actions.
The deadlock announcement signals that jurors are sharply divided on how to weigh her mental health defense against the severity of the charges. The judge’s decision to order continued deliberations means the jury must press on in search of a resolution.
The case has drawn widespread attention given its deeply troubling circumstances. Three young children died. Their mother admits she killed them. The only question left for twelve jurors to answer is whether the law holds her responsible, and so far, they cannot agree.