The lawyer for the Massachusetts woman accused of murdering her three children says he hopes to reach an agreement with prosecutors, after the case ended in a mistrial on Friday.
Kevin Reddington told ABC’s Good Morning America programme that he was upset a lone member of the jury would not acquit Lindsay Clancy.
To find Clancy guilty, jurors had to be unanimously convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that she intentionally killed her children – Cora, Dawson and Callan – and was not experiencing a psychotic break.
Lawyer appeals to Trump for pardon
On ABC, Reddington also appealed to President Donald Trump to pardon Clancy. Because she was charged by the state, though, only the Massachusetts governor has the power to pardon her.
“I would hope that you [Trump] would consider this young lady, the type of person she is, what she’s been through, and consider a pardon,” Reddington said.
Reddington also said he hoped the district attorney prosecuting the case “would be able to work something out that would be acceptable to both sides”.
The BBC has contacted the district attorney for Plymouth County, Massachusetts.
“I’m willing to listen to Tim,” Reddington said about District Attorney Tim Cruz, calling him a “hard-charging prosecutor”
Single juror reportedly held out
The jury – nine women and three men – was weighing a range of options, from not guilty by reason of insanity to manslaughter and first-degree murder.
The 12-member panel appeared to nearly reach a consensus, except for a single holdout who, Reddington said, “would not apply the law of reasonable doubt” as instructed by the judge.
“That’s not right,” he said. “And that’s why I was upset.”
Throughout the trial, prosecutors called dozens of witnesses, including several doctors, seeking to prove Clancy had made a calculated decision to murder her children in the basement of their Massachusetts home in January 2023.
Clancy does not deny killing the three, but says there was no premeditation and she was experiencing psychosis at the time. For her to be convicted of first-degree murder, a jury would have to believe she planned the killings.
Prosecutors must decide whether to retry case
The BBC has contacted the governor’s office about a possible pardon request.
Under Massachusetts law, Reddington could also formally ask the judge to rule independently that Clancy was not guilty based on evidence presented during the trial. He has five days to file that motion.
Currently, the case rests with the prosecution, who must decide whether to seek another trial.
Source: BBC
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