After protracted deliberations, the jury in the Lindsay Clancy trial in Massachusetts has failed to reach a verdict and the judge has declared a mistrial.

In a case that captured attention in the United States and around the world, Clancy had admitted killing her three children before trying to end her own life in 2023. She remains in hospital until a decision is made on whether there will be a retrial.

The prosecution argued it was a deliberate and calculated murder, evidenced by her arranging for her husband to be out of the house. That would likely lead to life imprisonment (as Massachusetts is not a death penalty state).

The defence argued she suffered a postpartum psychosis at the time and so was not in control of her actions. This should mean she is not guilty because she was insane at the time, or at worst guilty of manslaughter.

Maternal mental health was a focus of the trial and much of the wider public debate surrounding the case.

There are obvious factual similarities between the Clancy case and the Christchurch trial of Lauren Dickason in 2023. She also killed her three children when her husband was absent, and then took an overdose.

She was eventually found guilty of murder and given an 18-year prison sentence. An appeal will be heard in February next year.

The prosecution had argued it was a deliberate killing amounting to murder. The defence relied on mental health evidence about a major depression and argued for a verdict of not guilty due to insanity.........

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