The jury in the closely watched trial of Lindsay Clancy has once again failed to reach a unanimous verdict, prompting the judge to order jurors to continue deliberating after issuing a so-called “dynamite charge”.
Clancy, a Massachusetts mother who has admitted to killing her three young children – but denies murder – faces five possible verdicts.
Jurors can find her not guilty, not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, guilty of first-degree murder, guilty of second-degree murder, or guilty of manslaughter.
The jury, made up of nine women and five men, informed Judge William Sullivan for the second time in two days they remained deadlocked.
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Since a unanimous verdict is required, Judge Sullivan instructed them to return to their deliberations and make another effort to reach a decision.
Jurors were read the Tuey-Rodriguez instructions, commonly known as a “dynamite charge”.
The instruction is intended to encourage a divided jury to reconsider the evidence and attempt to reach a verdict, while reminding members that they were selected in the same manner as any future jury.
“You should consider that it is desirable that the case be decided,” the instruction states.
The judge subsequently released the jurors for the evening, telling them to return to court at 9am local time tomorrow morning to resume deliberations.
The renewed deadlock marks another dramatic moment in a trial that has attracted widespread attention across the United States.
At the heart of the case is the question of Clancy’s mental state when her children died.
The defence has argued Clancy was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis, a serious psychiatric condition that impaired her ability to understand or control her actions.
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Prosecutors have disputed the defence’s account and sought to establish criminal responsibility for the deaths.
Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, said his client was struggling emotionally as the jury remained unable to agree.
Asked how she was coping, Mr Reddington said: “Do you see the mascara on my suit? That’s how she is holding up.”
He described Clancy as “a sad person” and suggested, if a second trial were eventually required, he would be unwilling to allow her to undergo assessments by some of the prosecution’s expert witnesses again.
He declined to predict what the jury would decide when deliberations resume, instead praising the jurors for their work throughout the trial.
“All I’m going to say is that I’m just very proud of this jury,” he told reporters.
A prolonged deadlock could ultimately result in a mistrial, potentially paving the way for prosecutors to seek another trial – while Mr Reddington said he was prepared to begin the case again “next week” if that happens.
The jury is expected back in court at 9am to continue its deliberations.
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