Lindsay Clancy defense argues there is ‘no evidence’ she killed her kids
A legal battle is intensifying in Plymouth, Massachusetts, where defense attorney Kevin Reddington maintains that prosecutors presented no evidence proving Lindsay Clancy killed her three children. Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham has argued that the case evidence is extensive. Attorney Edward Paltzik, meanwhile, has criticized the defense’s conduct after a mistrial as both sides prepare for a pivotal November hearing.
Massachusetts Superior Court Judge William Sullivan has rejected Lindsay Clancy’s request for a required finding of not guilty.
Sullivan denied a similar motion when Clancy’s mistrial was declared on Sept. 4. He rejected the defense’s renewed request Thursday after Reddington argued earlier this week that Plymouth County prosecutors had not introduced sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Clancy was guilty.
“There was evidence introduced, both physical and circumstantial, that would permit a rational trier of fact to find beyond a reasonable doubt the elements of the charge of murder,” Sullivan wrote.
Lindsay Clancy and her attorney, Kevin Reddington, attend a status hearing in the Clancy case at Plymouth County Superior Court in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on September 29, 2026. Clancy appeared in court for the first time since the judge declared a mistrial on September 4, after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict in the closely watched case involving the deaths of her three young children. (Greg Derr / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)
The judge also rejected Reddington’s claim that the prosecution failed to establish that Clancy could be held criminally responsible for the killings.
Callan, Dawson and Cora Clancy. The three children were killed at their home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023. (Lindsay Marie Clancy/Facebook)
“Mental illness alone does not preclude a finding of criminal responsibility beyond a reasonable doubt,” Sullivan wrote.
“The Commonwealth’s theory of criminal responsibility was that when the defendant committed the crime, she did not lack substantial capacity to appreciate the criminality or wrongfulness of her conduct and did not lack the substantial capacity to conform her conduct to the requirements of the law,” he continued. “In support of this position, the Commonwealth introduced evidence regarding the nature and methods of the killings and the defendant’s actions and demeanor at times surrounding the killings.”
(L) Patrick Clancy and (R) Lindsay Clancy’s three children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 7-month-old Callan, who died. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images and Lindsay Marie Clancy Facebook)
Clancy is scheduled to return to court Nov. 2 for a hearing on her pending double jeopardy motion. The court is also expected to consider Reddington’s request for an inquiry into the lone juror who wanted to find her guilty.
This is a breaking news story.
