PLYMOUTH, Mass. — The Lindsay Clancy murder trial was one juror away from moving forward, but things have now changed.
After three days of jury selection and nearly 300 potential jurors called to Plymouth Superior Court, 17 jurors had been seated.
In a new development Thursday morning, two seated jurors asked to be excused, and the judge granted their request. The jury count is back to 15.
The court is seeking a total of 18 jurors, including 12 deliberating jurors and six alternates.
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July 23, 2026, 11:08 a.m.
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If a full jury is seated Thursday, opening statements could begin as soon as Friday if the final juror is selected that day.
Clancy, a Duxbury mother, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the January 2023 deaths of her three young children. Prosecutors allege she strangled the children with exercise bands inside the family’s home.
Her defense team is expected to argue that Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was overmedicated, leaving her not criminally responsible for her actions at the time of the killings.
Legal experts say selecting jurors capable of handling the emotional testimony expected during the trial has been one of the court’s biggest challenges.
“You really have to suss out who is going to be able to listen to this testimony,” Boston criminal defense attorney Elyse Hershon said. “It’s going to be very difficult evidence, obviously horrific, the deaths of children. This is an unusual case because the dispute is not whether she did it or how she did it. The dispute is what was her mental capacity and intent at the time.”
If the final juror is selected Thursday, opening statements could begin on Friday. Clancy’s former husband, Patrick Clancy, is expected to be among the first witnesses called to testify.
The high-profile trial is expected to last between six and eight weeks.
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