Lindsay Clancy’s Lawyer Says He’ll Never Accept a Deal That Sends Her to Prison
by Jerome London · Thought CatalogUpdated 8 minutes ago, September 17, 2026
Kevin Reddington told Fox News’ Bryan Llenas last week that he’d never “ever in a million years” send Lindsay Clancy to Framingham State Prison. He said he’d consider a deal only if Plymouth County DA Tim Cruz reduced the top charge to second-degree murder, allowing the defense to waive a jury and seek probation from a judge.
That order matters. Massachusetts treats first-degree murder as a capital case even though the state has no death penalty, and defendants generally can’t waive a jury on that charge. It carries mandatory life without parole. Second-degree murder also carries a life sentence, but parole eligibility is typically set between 15 and 25 years.
Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani said that leaves little room for a plea deal because the defense won’t accept incarceration.
The defense doesn’t dispute that Clancy, a 36-year-old former delivery room nurse, used exercise bands to strangle Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and 8-month-old Callan in January 2023 before attempting suicide. She survived a fall from a second-story window and is paralyzed. Reddington argues that mental illness left her without criminal responsibility.
Clancy has lived at Tewksbury State Hospital since 2023, using a wheelchair and remaining under 24/7 watch. A finding of not criminally responsible could lead to civil commitment in a secure forensic hospital. Her case would receive yearly reviews, with no statutory time limit and continued involvement from the district attorney.
Once the defense raises lack of criminal responsibility, the Commonwealth must prove that Clancy still had substantial capacity to understand that her actions were wrong or stop herself. At her first trial, 11 jurors concluded that burden hadn’t been met, while 1 voted to convict. The split produced a mistrial.
Related Articles
Prosecutors argued that Clancy deliberately created time alone with the children. At about 4 p.m., she searched for information about children’s Miralax, mapped the drive to a Plymouth takeout restaurant farther away than usual and called CVS to confirm Pedialax was in stock. She then sent her then-husband, Patrick, on both errands. The defense said a male voice ordered her to kill the children and herself.
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said prosecutors must weigh the risk of another deadlock against ending the case without a conviction.
Judge William Sullivan has ordered the jurors’ names sealed indefinitely because of threats and safety concerns. Clancy’s next court date is Sept. 29.
Reddington is preparing a Rule 25 motion asking the judge to enter a not-guilty finding based on legally insufficient evidence. He also plans to argue that double jeopardy bars another trial because the mistrial wasn’t required by manifest necessity. Both motions face steep odds because a hung jury almost always permits a retrial. Cruz hasn’t said whether he’ll retry the case, reduce the charge or drop it.
For more from Thought Catalog, follow along on Facebook or visit our website anytime.