The legal team representing Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother whose murder trial for the deaths of her three children recently ended in a mistrial, has taken the unusual step of appealing directly to President Donald Trump for a pardon. The request was made by defense attorney Kevin Reddington during a television appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
When asked about the next steps for his client, Reddington pivoted to address the President, citing comments Trump had previously made regarding the case. Following the declaration of a mistrial due to a hung jury, the President had publicly weighed in, noting that he had been following the proceedings because the case was “on television so much.” Trump had remarked that Clancy “did a horrible, horrible thing” and suggested that while she would face consequences, it was “too bad” the case was headed for a retrial.
“I’d like to say that, perhaps, Donald Trump, who felt compelled to speak out about this case, may very well,” Reddington stated during the interview. “Mr. President, I hope that you would consider this young lady, the type of person she is, what she’s been through, and consider a pardon.”
The trial, which garnered significant national attention, centered on the tragic deaths of Clancy’s three children: Cora, five, Dawson, three, and Callan, eight months. Prosecutors argued that Clancy had meticulously planned the murders, while the defense maintained that she was suffering from a severe postpartum psychotic break at the time of the incident. The defense presented evidence that Clancy heard a commanding voice in her head before strangling her children and subsequently attempting to take her own life, an act that left her paralyzed.
The jury deliberated for a week before informing the judge that they could not reach a unanimous verdict, with one holdout juror preventing a conclusion. Reddington expressed his belief that 11 of the 12 jurors were prepared to find Clancy “not guilty by reason of insanity.”
Beyond the plea for a presidential pardon, Reddington indicated a willingness to engage with prosecutor Timothy Cruz regarding a potential plea deal. “I’m willing to listen to Tim,” Reddington said. “I hope, however, that after seeing through this trial, and seeing the evidence that was presented from the government, as well as from the defense, that he would revisit that issue and hopefully we’d be able to work something out that would be acceptable to both sides.”