Lindsay Clancy Lawyers Seek Investigation Into Holdout Juror After Mistrial

Attorneys for Lindsay Clancy have asked Judge William Sullivan to investigate the conduct of Michael Péguy Desronvil, the lone juror who reportedly remained in favor of convicting Clancy after seven days of deliberations ended without a unanimous verdict. The request comes weeks after the Massachusetts mother’s murder trial ended in a mistrial.

In a motion filed by defense attorney Kevin Reddington, Clancy’s lawyers asked the court to question Desronvil about whether he used a cellphone during jury deliberations. The defense also questioned whether he was truthful when completing his confidential juror questionnaire and when answering questions from the judge shortly before the trial ended.

Reddington specifically requested records showing calls or text messages made from Desronvil’s phone between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on each day the jury was deliberating. Cellphone use during deliberations is prohibited in Massachusetts. The defense also asked the court to preserve and review confidential jury materials and other records connected to the deliberations.

The motions follow reports from several jurors that the panel eventually reached an 11–1 split. The majority reportedly believed Clancy should be found not criminally responsible, with jurors pointing to evidence concerning the postpartum psychiatric condition that was central to the defense. The jury ultimately failed to reach the unanimous verdict required, prompting Judge Sullivan to declare a mistrial on September 4.

Other jurors also said they believed Desronvil had not properly applied the legal standard of reasonable doubt. The defense has argued that the judge should have considered replacing the holdout juror with an alternate rather than declaring a mistrial. Attorney Martin Weinberg separately asked the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the mistrial should not have occurred.

Desronvil, however, has rejected the characterization that he was simply refusing to consider reasonable doubt. In a statement released through his attorney, he said he “didn’t have any doubts” and maintained that the physical evidence, witnesses and prosecution’s case convinced him that Clancy knew what she was doing and had planned the killings.

Desronvil’s attorney, Edward Andrew Paltzik, has strongly opposed the defense request. He has characterized the motion as an attack on the juror’s constitutional rights and argued that investigating a juror simply because he reached a different conclusion from the rest of the panel could threaten the independence of juries.

The investigation request does not establish that Desronvil violated any rule or acted improperly. The motion itself asks the court to determine whether there is a legitimate basis for further inquiry. Judge Sullivan had not publicly ruled on the request at the time of the latest reports, and the court has kept related materials under seal or impounded.

Clancy was accused of killing her three children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan — at the family’s Duxbury home in January 2023. Her defense centered on postpartum psychosis and whether her mental state made her criminally responsible. The prosecution argued that she understood her actions and was criminally responsible for the deaths.

The case remains unresolved following the mistrial. Prosecutors have not announced whether they intend to retry Clancy, while the defense is pursuing motions seeking dismissal and further review of the circumstances surrounding the jury’s deadlock. A court conference is scheduled for September 29.

Source: People.com