CALGARY — A Massachusetts judge has rejected Lindsay Clancy’s attempt to secure a not-guilty finding following the mistrial in her high-profile murder case, leaving open the possibility that she could face another trial.Plymouth Superior Court Judge William Sullivan denied a defence motion Thursday that argued prosecutors had failed to present sufficient evidence to support the murder charges against Clancy.Clancy, 36, is charged in connection with the January 2023 deaths of her three children — five-year-old Cora, three-year-old Dawson and eight-month-old Callan — at the family’s home in Duxbury, Massachusetts.Her first trial ended in a mistrial on September 4 after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on whether she should be held criminally responsible for the deaths. Several jurors later said the panel was split 11-1, with 11 prepared to find Clancy not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility.Throughout the trial, Clancy’s defence argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible for her actions..Prosecutors disputed that argument, maintaining that Clancy was capable of understanding her actions and presented evidence they said showed the killings were deliberate. The trial featured competing testimony from mental health experts over Clancy’s psychological state at the time.According to WBUR News, following the mistrial, defence attorney Kevin Reddington asked Sullivan to enter a required finding of not guilty, arguing the prosecution had failed to produce enough evidence for a rational jury to convict, Sullivan disagreed.In his ruling, the judge said prosecutors presented physical and circumstantial evidence that could allow a rational fact-finder to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that the elements of murder had been established.“There was evidence introduced, both physical and circumstantial, that would permit a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of the charge of murder,” Sullivan's ruling said.Sullivan also said conflicting testimony from medical experts was ultimately evidence for a jury to weigh rather than grounds for the judge to end the case himself..The lone holdout juror from Clancy’s trial has also spoken publicly following the mistrial, calling for attention to remain on the three children at the centre of the case.Michael Desronvil, who reportedly cast the sole vote against finding Clancy not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, released one of his first in-person statements since the trial ended.“The focus has been on me, but we want to put the focus on the three angels that's at hand, the ones that can't speak for themselves,” Desronvil said. “And those are Cora, Dawson, and Callan.”The jury was reportedly split 11-1 when the trial ended in a mistrial, with the other 11 jurors prepared to find Clancy not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility.Desronvil’s comments come amid continued public attention surrounding the jury’s deliberations and the question of whether Clancy will face a second trial..The decision does not amount to a finding that Clancy is guilty. Instead, it means Sullivan determined there was sufficient evidence for the case to be considered by a jury.The ruling keeps the criminal case alive as prosecutors weigh whether to put Clancy on trial again.Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not yet announced whether his office will pursue another trial or potentially seek different charges.Clancy’s lawyers are also pursuing other efforts to prevent a retrial, including an argument that trying her again would violate protections against double jeopardy because of the circumstances surrounding the mistrial. Sullivan is still considering that motion.Another court hearing is scheduled for November 2 as the court considers the remaining motions and the future of the case.
