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U.S. Judge William Sullivan, who is presiding over the high-profile case against Lindsay Clancy, the woman accused of killing her three children in Massachusetts, gave a definitive order to the jury on Wednesday to continue deliberating and reach a unanimous verdict after they reiterated their deadlock.
The jury sent a note on Tuesday indicating they were at a stalemate, and Sullivan asked them to continue. However, on Wednesday afternoon, during their fifth day of deliberations, they sent a similar note, after which the judge read instructions known as a "Tuey-Rodriguez charge," which represents a final opportunity.
The "Tuey-Rodriguez charge," common in cases of stalled jury deliberations in the state of Massachusetts, urges members to continue respectfully discussing the evidence presented and to agree on a conclusion without surrendering their own opinions, according to specialized media.
Shortly after giving these instructions to the 12 jury members, Sullivan ended the day and reconvened them for Thursday morning. The coming hours could be crucial, as if the jury reaffirms that they cannot reach a verdict, the judge has the authority to declare a mistrial.
Clancy, a 36-year-old former nurse, faces three counts of murder for the strangulation deaths of her children Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months, on January 24, 2023, at her home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, after which she attempted suicide and was left partially paralyzed.
The jury, consisting of nine women and three men, began deliberating last Thursday after a trial lasting more than four weeks with 80 witnesses and over 300 pieces of evidence and documents.
Clancy does not deny strangling her children, but she pleaded not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility and maintains that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, which prevented her from understanding the nature and gravity of her actions.
The defense argued during the trial that Clancy lost touch with reality due to her deteriorating mental health, aggravated by inadequate psychiatric treatment and excessive medication, while the prosecution argued that she knew what she was doing and consciously made the decision to kill her children.
The jury has the options of finding her guilty of first- or second-degree murder, manslaughter, or finding her not guilty, or acquitting her due to mental health issues.
In practice, the case hinges on whether Clancy will serve a life sentence or be subject to psychiatric commitment.
[Publicidad]