A judge on Thursday refused to declare Lindsay Clancy not guilty of murdering her three children, rejecting a defense motion that argued there was insufficient evidence to prove she was responsible for the killings.
Clancy's attorney Kevin Reddington had tried on Tuesday to persuade Judge William Sullivan that prosecutors offered no proof that Clancy killed her three children. Prosecutors countered that there was ample evidence, calling Reddington's claim "laughable".
Judge cites evidence in ruling
In his ruling, Sullivan said prosecutors provided adequate evidence for a jury to decide whether Clancy was the person responsible for the killings.
"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 wrote.
Defense argues mental disease
During the trial, Reddington did not dispute that Clancy killed the children at the family's home in 2023. Instead, the defense sought to persuade the jury that the 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse was not criminally responsible because of mental disease, a rare condition called postpartum psychosis.
Prosecutors acknowledged that Clancy had mental health problems that included months of treatment and a stay in a psychiatric hospital, but argued that she knew what she was doing when she strangled the children then tried to kill herself.
Deadlocked jury led to mistrial
Clancy's first trial ended with a deadlocked jury. A judge declared a mistrial with the jury split 11-1 in favor of acquitting Clancy of murder charges.
