Boston, MA – In a motion filed Friday and released Monday, attorney Kevin Reddington asked the Plymouth County Superior Court to examine the conduct of juror Michael Desronvil, the sole juror who voted to convict Lindsay Clancy of murder in the deaths of her three young children.
Request for a detailed investigation
Reddington’s filing seeks records of any phone calls or text messages Desronvil may have sent between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on each day the jury deliberated, arguing that the use of a cellphone during deliberations is prohibited under Massachusetts law. The motion also questions Desronvil’s truthfulness on the pre‑trial questionnaire completed by prospective jurors and his answers to the judge’s questions the day before the trial concluded.
Mistrial and differing juror opinions
The judge declared a mistrial on September 4 after the twelve‑person jury could not reach a unanimous verdict. Eleven jurors were prepared to clear Clancy of criminal responsibility, citing a rare mental‑health condition known as postpartum psychosis that they said influenced her actions. Desronvil, however, sided with prosecutors who argued Clancy acted with full awareness of her conduct.
Desronvil has not been accused of any wrongdoing related to his jury service, though other jurors described him as inflexible. In a statement released by his own counsel, he said he “didn’t have any doubts.”
Defense’s next steps
Clancy remains charged with murder and is currently confined to a psychiatric hospital while the case proceeds. In a separate motion, another of her attorneys, Martin Weinberg, asked the court to dismiss the criminal case entirely, contending that the mistrial was unnecessary. Weinberg argued the judge should have replaced Desronvil with an alternate juror after the foreperson reported that Desronvil refused to consider the law on reasonable doubt.
“Contrary to the court’s stated belief at the time, it did have viable choices other than declaring a mistrial,” Weinberg wrote.
Prosecutor’s position
A spokesperson for Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz declined to comment on the motions.
Background on the case
During the trial, jurors heard testimony from psychologists and clinicians who treated Clancy for several months before the killings. The experts described a worsening of her mental‑health condition after the birth of her youngest child. Clancy was released from a psychiatric hospital less than three weeks before she allegedly strangled her children.
The case has drawn significant public attention because it raises questions about how the legal system handles defendants who may be suffering from severe mental‑health disorders at the time of a crime.
What’s next?
The court has not yet ruled on either of the defense motions. If the judge grants the request to investigate Desronvil, the inquiry could lead to a new trial, a dismissal, or other procedural outcomes. The outcome will likely influence how future cases involving mental‑health defenses are handled in Massachusetts courts.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
