Lindsay Clancy admitted to murdering her own 3 children. But the jury remained deadlocked, with 1 holdout, until the judge was forced to declare a mistrial.
Did the jurors follow the law – and what happens next for Clancy?
Massachusetts law complicates this case because it is different from most other states when it comes to an insanity defense. MA does not make the defendant prove she was insane. Once the defense puts in evidence of a mental disease or defect, the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she was still criminally responsible: that she could both appreciate the wrongfulness of the killings and had the ability to control herself. Most states flip that burden onto the accused.
This means jurors can accept that she murdered her children and still vote not guilty due to insanity, if the prosecution left any reasonable doubt.
Dr. Daniel Amen, founder of Amen Clinics and a double board-certified psychiatrist, reviews Clancy’s medication list – over a dozen psychiatric drugs filled in the four months before the killings, including quetiapine, diazepam, lorazepam, and zolpidem, several of them layered on top of one another – and her insanity defense.
Attorney Christina Bobb, author of Defiant, explains why this case is unique because Massachusetts places the burden on the prosecution to prove criminal responsibility beyond a reasonable doubt rather than on the defendant to prove insanity – and news that Clancy’s attorney is seeking a pardon from President Trump.
Also joining: actress Bai Ling, known for The Crow, Star Wars: Episode III, Crank 2, and her Asian Oscar-winning performance in Dumplings, on her new music, her fashion line, and the book she is writing about Hollywood.
Bai Ling is an award-winning actress across more than 140 films and TV projects. She has worked with George Lucas, Oliver Stone, Jodie Foster, and Luc Besson, and starred opposite Jason Statham in Crank 2 and Will Smith in Wild Wild West. Her performance in Dumplings won her an Asian Oscar. Follow at https://www.instagram.com/iambailing
Dr. Daniel Amen is the founder of Amen Clinics and a double board-certified psychiatrist. A former U.S. Army infantry medic, he is a 12-time New York Times bestselling author whose books include The End of Mental Illness, Memory Rescue, and Change Your Brain, Change Your Life. His YouTube series Scan My Brain has aired over 100 episodes. Follow at https://www.amenclinics.com
Christina Bobb is a Washington, DC-based attorney specializing in national security law who works with Judicial Watch to expose government corruption. A former Marine Corps defense counsel, she served in DHS leadership roles and joined President Trump’s legal team for election integrity. She is the author of Stealing Your Vote and Defiant. Follow at https://x.com/christina_bobb
