A Massachusetts judge has declared a mistrial in the case of Lindsay Clancy after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict despite more than a week of deliberations

The 36-year-old former nurse is accused of killing her three young children in January 2023. The closely watched trial, which drew national attention for its focus on postpartum mental health, ended without a verdict after the jury remained deadlocked following more than 38 hours of deliberation.

According to notes submitted to the court, the 12-member jury was divided 11-1 and was unable to overcome the impasse despite repeated attempts.

After the jury reported for a third time that it could not reach a unanimous decision, Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial. Before the ruling became final, lead defense attorney Kevin Reddington requested an emergency delay to seek intervention from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

The defense argued that one juror was biased and unwilling to follow the judge's instructions regarding reasonable doubt. Attorneys asked the higher court to require additional questioning of the juror and, if necessary, remove that juror from further deliberations.

The emergency petition also argued that declaring a mistrial could have been avoided and raised concerns about how the case addressed severe mental illness. However, after reviewing the request during a public hearing, a single justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court denied the petition.

Clancy is charged in the deaths of her three children—5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan—who were found dead at the family's home in Duxbury.

Prosecutors alleged that Clancy intentionally planned and carried out the killings after sending her husband out of the house, arguing that the acts were deliberate and premeditated.

The defense, however, maintained that Clancy was experiencing severe postpartum psychosis at the time of the tragedy and therefore lacked criminal responsibility. Her attorneys said she had been battling postpartum depression following the birth of her youngest child, had been prescribed multiple psychiatric medications, and was suffering from hallucinations. They also noted that she attempted suicide after the incident, leaving her partially paralyzed.

Although Clancy has acknowledged causing the deaths of her children, she has pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility, arguing that postpartum psychosis and previously undiagnosed bipolar disorder prevented her from understanding the nature or wrongfulness of her actions at the time.