Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer asked President Donald Trump to consider a pardon for his client days after her Massachusetts murder trial ended in a mistrial.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington made the unusual public appeal Tuesday during an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America. Addressing the president directly, he said: “Mr. President, I would hope that you would consider this young lady, the type of person she is and what she’s been through, and consider a pardon.”
Clancy, 36, a former labor and delivery nurse from Duxbury, was charged with first-degree murder in the January 2023 strangulation deaths of her three children—Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months—using exercise bands. She then jumped from a second-story window in an apparent suicide attempt that left her paralyzed. She has admitted to the killings but pleaded not guilty, with her defense arguing she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis and was not criminally responsible.
A Plymouth Superior Court jury deadlocked after more than 30 hours of deliberations over seven days. Reports indicated an 11-1 split, with the majority favoring a finding of not guilty by reason of insanity. Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial on September 4. Clancy remains held at Tewksbury Hospital. A status hearing is scheduled for September 29, when prosecutors will indicate whether they intend to retry the case, pursue a plea, or take another path. Reddington said he is willing to work with Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz on an agreement “acceptable to both sides.”
A presidential pardon applies only to federal offenses. Clancy’s case is a state prosecution, so clemency authority would rest with Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey. Reddington has acknowledged the legal limit but suggested Trump’s interest and influence could still matter, including possible outreach to the district attorney.
Trump had commented on the case last Friday after the mistrial, saying he had been following it. He called the deaths “a horrible, horrible thing” that “can’t be worse” and said there would be “a price to pay”—“mental institution or jail or something.” The White House referred reporters back to those remarks when asked about the pardon request.
The high-profile case has drawn national attention to postpartum mental illness, the insanity defense, and how the justice system handles mothers who kill their children. Prosecutors have not yet announced their next move.
SOURCES:
Lawyer asks Trump to pardon Lindsay Clancy after mistrial in Massachusetts murder case | Reuters
Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer asks Trump to consider pardoning his client
Lindsay Clancy defense attorney Kevin Reddington speaks out after mistrial, seeks pardon
Lindsay Clancy’s attorney expresses willingness to work out a plea deal | CNN
Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer knows President Trump can’t pardon her. Here’s why Kevin Reddington asked. – CBS Boston
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