Inside Lindsay Clancy’s Psychiatric Hospital Stay After a Mistrial

When the jury walked out on Friday, it wasn’t a victory for anyone. One holdout juror refused to sign the verdict sheet, and the judge declared a mistrial in the case of Lindsay Clancy, the 36‑year‑old mother accused of strangling her three kids in Duxbury last winter.

Because the trial ended without a decision, Clancy has been sent back to Tewksbury Hospital – the state‑run psychiatric center where she’s been held since her suicide attempt in 2023. Her lawyer, Kevin Reddington, confirmed the move after the state Supreme Court turned down a last‑minute appeal that might have kept the case alive.

At the hearing in August, Dr. Avram Mack – a psychiatrist who previously worked at Nemours Children’s Health – painted a rather bleak picture of life inside the facility. He told the court that most of Clancy’s days were spent in bed, with only occasional, perfunctory contact with staff.

“She rarely interacts with other patients,” Mack said. “She does see a therapist now and then, but the engagement is minimal.” He added that Clancy, who still uses a wheelchair after jumping from a second‑story window, showed little interest in the physical‑therapy program offered to her.

Even basic routines seemed to drain her. “She’s not keen on the food,” the doctor noted, “and she avoids showers because they require staff assistance – something she finds embarrassing.” According to Mack, Clancy described a kind of “situational depression,” saying she felt miserable and didn’t want to be alive.

The testimony wasn’t without drama. Mack got into a heated exchange with Reddington, and on the very day he finished testifying he resigned from Nemours. Whether that was a coincidence or a calculated move remains speculation.

Legal experts say the next steps are fairly predictable. District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz is expected to file a motion to retry the case, arguing he must answer for the deaths of Cora (5), Dawson (3) and infant Callan (8 months). Defense attorney Brad Bailey, who isn’t on the team but follows the case closely, believes a new jury will be assembled and that prosecutors may lean on more specialized experts in postpartum psychosis.

There’s also the slim chance of a plea bargain. Some observers think the state could offer a reduced charge – perhaps second‑degree murder or manslaughter – but Bailey doubts Reddington would entertain that route.

For now, Clancy remains in Tewksbury under the same bail conditions that kept her there before the trial. Visitors are allowed “on a not‑infrequent basis,” according to Mack, and the occasional home‑cooked meal provides a brief break from the institutional routine.

As the legal pendulum swings, the community of Duxbury and the families of the three children wait for answers that may still be months away.