Retired judge says social media could help Lindsay Clancy defense if jury remains deadlocked

Jurors in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy reported for a second time Wednesday that they remained deadlocked, and a retired Massachusetts judge said social media could give the defense an unusual advantage if the case ends in a mistrial.

Clancy, 36, faces three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children, Cora, Dawson and Callan, all under age 6, prosecutors say. Judge William Sullivan gave jurors a Tuey-Rodriguez charge Wednesday after they again said they were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, court proceedings show.

The instruction is meant to encourage continued deliberations while reminding jurors to listen to one another without abandoning honestly held opinions, Sullivan told the panel when he sent them back to continue deliberations. He had earlier declined to give the instruction when jurors first reported difficulty and instead simply sent them back, court records show.

Retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge Jack Lu told Fox News Digital that retrials after a hung jury traditionally favored prosecutors, but that social media has altered that expectation. Lu pointed to the case of Karen Read, whose 2024 trial deadlocked and who was acquitted at a 2025 retrial, as an example of social media influence, he said.

Jurors will resume deliberations Thursday for a sixth day, having spent more than 28 hours weighing a verdict, court officials said. Lu told Fox News Digital that if jurors again report they are deadlocked, the case will likely end in a mistrial. A GoFundMe for Clancy’s parents has surpassed $830,000, though it is unclear who would fund her defense in a retrial or whether defense counsel Reddington would charge for another trial, according to the campaign page and media reporting.

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