DUXBURY, MA. (THECOUNT) — Kevin Reddington, the attorney for Lindsay Clancy, is asking President Donald Trump to consider pardoning his client after her murder trial ended in a mistrial when jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
Reddington made the appeal Tuesday during an interview on Good Morning America, directly addressing Trump and asking him to consider Clancy’s circumstances and what she has experienced.
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“Mr. President, I would hope that you would consider this young lady and the person she is, what she’s been through, and consider a pardon,” Reddington said.
There is a significant legal limitation to the request: Clancy’s three murder charges are Massachusetts state charges, not federal offenses. The president’s pardon power applies to federal crimes and does not extend to state criminal prosecutions. Any resolution of the charges therefore remains within the Massachusetts justice system.
Reddington also said he is hopeful that the defense and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz can reach an agreement following the mistrial. Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek a retrial. A Sept. 29 hearing is expected to address the next steps in the case.
Clancy, 36, pleaded not guilty to three counts of murder in connection with the January 2023 deaths of her children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, at the family’s home in Duxbury.
Clancy has acknowledged killing the children. Her defense argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and lacked criminal responsibility at the time of the killings. Prosecutors disputed that argument and maintained that she was legally responsible for the deaths.
After weeks of testimony, the jury deliberated for more than 38 hours but could not reach a unanimous verdict. Judge William Sullivan ultimately declared a mistrial Sept. 4.
The deadlock followed a contentious final phase of deliberations in which Reddington argued that one juror was not properly applying the judge’s reasonable-doubt instructions. Sullivan declined to remove the juror, and an emergency appeal by the defense to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court was unsuccessful.
The mistrial left the murder charges unresolved. Prosecutors could pursue a new trial, while the defense has indicated it would be open to reaching an agreement with the district attorney.
Reddington has continued to argue that Clancy’s mental state was central to the case, maintaining that postpartum psychosis prevented her from being criminally responsible for her actions. Prosecutors have presented a different account of her mental state and responsibility.
The defense attorney’s appeal to Trump introduces a federal political figure into a case that remains under Massachusetts jurisdiction. While the president cannot pardon the state charges, Reddington’s public request adds another unusual development to a case that has already drawn national attention because of its questions surrounding postpartum psychosis, criminal responsibility and the justice system.
The case remains unresolved following the mistrial, with Massachusetts prosecutors facing the decision of whether to retry Clancy and the defense seeking an alternative resolution.
Duxbury is a coastal community in Plymouth County on Massachusetts’ South Shore, approximately 35 miles southeast of Boston. The town became the focus of national attention following the deaths of the three Clancy children at their family home in January 2023.
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