Jurors were excused Friday afternoon after not yet reaching a verdict in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial, but how soon could one come?
The jury in Plymouth, Massachusetts, must decide whether to hold the former labor and delivery nurse criminally responsible for killing her three children in 2023.
While both sides agree she killed her children, Clancy’s attorneys argued she suffered from postpartum psychosis, with Kevin Reddington saying “lousy medical care” exacerbated her condition. Plymouth County prosecutors argued she intentionally planned the killings and that the nation’s healthcare system is “not on trial here.”
Here’s what to know as the case sits in the hands of the jury:
How soon could a verdict come?
The 12 regular jurors and six alternates were called into the courtroom briefly early Friday.
The judge asked them if they had read or heard anything about the case that might affect their ability to deliberate impartially, or if there were any concerns about continuing their service. The jurors all answered no.
The judge then sent the jury back to the deliberations room to begin their second day.
By 4 p.m. ET they were dismissed for the day.
Deliberations are expected to resume Monday, which means no verdict will be possible through the weekend at least.
“See everybody Monday morning,” Judge William Sullivan said Friday afternoon.
What could the jury decide?
If Clancy is convicted, her sentence could be as severe as life in prison without the possibility of parole. If she’s found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, the court will decide whether she can be released from custody or should remain confined in a state mental health facility.
If the jury can’t reach a verdict, prosecutors would have to decide whether to retry the case. If a mistrial were declared for some other reason, the next steps could depend on the circumstances.
Before the jury left the courtroom, Judge William Sullivan appointed one of the jurors, identified only as No. 257, as foreperson.
He told them a deliberation is not an easy task, and to respect each other’s opinions.
He reminded jurors that Clancy is innocent until proven guilty, and went over the elements of the charges.
He said a defendant is not criminally responsible for their conduct if they have a mental diseases or defect.
Sullivan tells the jury that they will consider three counts of murder in the first degree for each of the children but can consider murder in the second degree.
“If you find the defendant guilty of murder you shall decide the degree of murder,” he told the jury.
The judge says a defendant may form the required intent needed to prove a murder charge and act with premeditation even if she suffered from a mental impairment or consumed prescription.
What is postpartum psychosis?
It’s a rare and serious condition that can cause disorganized thinking, delusions, hallucinations and other symptoms. It affects an estimated one to two out of 1,000 women after childbirth, but the risk is somewhat higher for people with certain mental health conditions such as bipolar disorder.
Postpartum psychosis is different from postpartum depression, a more common mood disorder.
Experts at the Cleveland Clinic describe it as a mental health emergency affecting someone’s sense of reality.
“[Mothers] don’t behave like themselves. In fact, they start lose touch with reality and symptoms of this illness can wax and wane. That means that sometimes they might be acting normal or be able to do different things,” said Dr. Susan Feingold, a psychologist who advocates for women with postpartum psychosis and helped create legislation that allowed the condition to be considered a “mitigating circumstance” in criminal proceedings in Illinois. “And other times, they have, you know, they might be having hallucinations or delusions with beliefs, they can be very confused and they don’t understand what’s happening.”
Though most people with postpartum psychosis don’t harm their children, mothers with severe cases may try to do so, and also may try to harm themselves.
Postpartum psychosis usually happens within several days of giving birth but can occur up to six weeks afterwards.
Symptoms may include hallucinations, delusions, paranoia or other behavior changes.
A woman may also have mood changes, such as mania or depression, disorganized thinking or behavior, insomnia, irritability or agitation.
Moms with the condition need inpatient mental healthcare, which can include involuntary hospitalization. Treatments include medications or electroconvulsive therapy, a procedure done under anesthesia in which small electric currents pass through the brain, intentionally causing a brief seizure.
Experts say getting help early increases the odds of a good outcome.
Dr. Nicole Cirino of Baylor College of Medicine said women in the grip of postpartum psychosis often believe they are helping their children.
In their own minds, “they may be saving their children from damnation,” Cirino said.
How does Illinois play a role?
Awareness of postpartum psychosis has grown in recent years, but maternal mental health advocates said it’s rarely considered in criminal prosecutions. Illinois is the only state with a law allowing for undiagnosed or untreated postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis to be a mitigating factor in sentencing.
According to the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health, Illinois’ Public Act 100-0574, which became a landmark law in 2018, “allows postpartum illnesses like depression and psychosis to be mitigating factors in sentencing.”
“That means mothers who are serving sentences for child neglect or infanticide may apply for a new sentencing hearing if they are serving more than the minimum sentence,” the group stated, “Mothers who can prove they suffered from postpartum mental illness when they committed these crimes can reduce their sentencing.”
In addition, the state in 2025 amended the Illinois Unified Code of Corrections to allow the Prisoner Review Board to consider such factors when decided whether to grant or deny parole or medical release.
“The Board must now evaluate evidence that a petitioner suffered from postpartum psychosis or postpartum depression (as defined by the Code of Civil Procedure), if those conditions were contributing factors to the person’s criminal behavior or participation in the offense,” the police center wrote.
Similar cases have led to insanity verdicts, however.
Possibly the best-known is Andrea Yates, who drowned her five children in a bathtub in Texas in 2001. Her attorneys said she suffered from postpartum psychosis and believed killing her children would save them from hell.
Her initial murder conviction was overturned, and in a retrial she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to a state mental hospital.
Regardless of the outcome, experts and Clancy’s attorney said the case has raised awareness around maternal healthcare.
“And I think the main thing is whatever the verdict is for Lindsay, you know, we need to identify these women earlier,” Feingold said. “We need to get them the correct treatment. We need to educate people so that they’re more aware. We need to pass these laws so that when they end up in the judicial system, this mental illness will be taken into consideration, because these women are not criminals. They don’t have a history, a criminal history, and it could happen to other women and there’s been far too many tragedies. So it’s been enormous the nation’s finally talking about [it].”
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