PLYMOUTH, Mass. — Jurors weighing the fate of Lindsay Clancy returned with a question Friday morning, signaling they are actively working through evidence and testimony as deliberations continue in one of Massachusetts’ most closely watched murder trials.
The question was submitted to Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan, but he did not immediately disclose its contents in open court.
Criminal defense attorney Elyse Hershon told Boston 25 News that jury questions during deliberations are not unusual and can trigger lengthy discussions among attorneys and the judge.
“When a jury has a question, it is typically written down by the foreperson and presented to the judge,” Hershon explained. “Sometimes it is read in open court, and other times attorneys are brought to sidebar to discuss how it should be addressed.”
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According to Hershon, the process can become complex, particularly if jurors seek clarification on legal issues or request information that was not admitted into evidence.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington later told Boston 25’s Bob Ward that the jury asked to review several pieces of evidence, including two bags containing pill bottles and a knife.
The jury resumed deliberations after the matter was addressed.
As speculation grows about when a verdict might be reached, Hershon cautioned that predicting a timeline is nearly impossible.
“It could take an hour, a week, or even longer,” she said, noting that she once worked on a homicide case where jurors deliberated for two weeks before ultimately ending in a mistrial.
Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse from Duxbury, faces charges related to the deaths of her three children in January 2023. The central issue for jurors is whether she should be held criminally responsible or found not guilty by reason of insanity.
Legal observers have described the case as a battle of experts, with both sides presenting sharply different opinions about Clancy’s mental state at the time of the killings.
Hershon said jurors must remember that the burden remains on prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Clancy was criminally responsible.
For attorneys on both sides, as well as for Clancy and her family, the waiting period can be one of the most stressful stages of any trial.
“Every time there’s communication from the jury, emotions run high,” Hershon said. “You don’t know whether it’s a verdict, a question, or what it means about where deliberations are headed.”
Jurors continue their discussions behind closed doors as they work toward a unanimous decision on one of several possible verdicts:
- First-degree murder
- Second-degree murder
- Manslaughter
- Not guilty
- Not criminally responsible by reason of mental illness
Boston 25 News will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as they become available.
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