Why the Lindsay Clancy jury deliberations may be taking time and what it could mean

DEDHAM, Mass. — As jurors entered a third day of deliberations in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial Monday, legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Elyse Hershon said the lack of questions from the jury should not be viewed as a sign of where the case is headed.

Speaking in studio with Boston 25 News, Hershon said jurors face an enormous task as they sift through weeks of testimony and evidence in one of Massachusetts’ most closely watched criminal cases.

“They have a very hard job,” Hershon said of the jury. “Nobody is envying what they’re doing right now.

Jurors are weighing whether Clancy, the Duxbury mother accused of killing her three children in January 2023, is criminally responsible for her actions at the time of the deaths.

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Hershon noted that deliberations likely involve reviewing graphic evidence, including crime scene photos, recordings, and other exhibits presented during the trial.

“They’re going through very gruesome photos, that 911 call, that evidence that is just very gut-wrenching,” Hershon said. “They are hopefully focused on the evidence and the facts and trying to put sympathy aside, but I bet they’re having some pretty hard discussions in there.”

The jury began deliberating Thursday afternoon following closing arguments and spent all day Friday reviewing evidence. Hershon said the amount of time jurors have spent deliberating is not surprising given the nature of the case.

“There are hundreds of exhibits,” she said. “They could have just been organizing at that point.”

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Hershon added that jurors may have spent the weekend reflecting on the evidence and discussing different viewpoints when they returned Monday morning.

“It’s impossible to know what they’re thinking,” she said. “But especially for a first-degree murder trial, a triple murder trial, you want the jury to take that seriously. You want them to take their time.”

According to attorneys in the case, the jury’s only known question so far involved a request to review a knife found in Clancy’s bedroom and bags containing prescription pill bottles connected to the investigation.

Hershon said it’s difficult to determine what significance jurors may be placing on those items.

“It’s pure speculation at this point,” she said. “Perhaps the jury is looking at those pill bottles and trying to see how many are left.”

She also noted questions surrounding the evidence because the pill bottles were turned over to authorities days after the killings rather than being initially collected by investigators at the scene.

Hershon said the jury’s request could indicate members are closely examining testimony concerning Clancy’s medications and mental health treatment, issues that played a central role throughout the trial.

The case has drawn national attention, and Hershon was also asked about defense attorney Kevin Reddington’s comments criticizing some national media coverage of the trial.

Reddington on Monday praised Boston 25 investigative reporter Bob Ward while accusing several national commentators of misrepresenting facts in the case.

Hershon said she believes some of Reddington’s frustration stems from outside criticism of the legal teams.

“It’s very easy to Monday-morning quarterback a defense attorney or a prosecutor,” Hershon said. “It’s hard to hear criticisms from people who are not in their shoes and who are not involved in the case.”

Jurors resumed deliberations Monday at Plymouth Superior Court.

They are considering multiple verdict options, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter, and not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility.

Boston 25 News will continue to provide updates as deliberations continue.

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