Judge denies Lindsay Clancy’s defence motion to be acquitted due to lack of evidence

Open this photo in gallery:Lindsay Clancy speaks with her lawyer Kevin Reddington during proceedings in her murder trial, Aug. 20 in Plymouth, Mass.Josh Reynolds/The Associated PressThe judge in the Lindsay Clancy murder case on Thursday refused to declare her not guilty, turning down a defence motion that had argued there wasn’t enough evidence to prove she was responsible for killing her three children.On Tuesday, Clancy’s attorney Kevin Reddington tried to persuade Judge William Sullivan that prosecutors had not offered any proof that Clancy had killed her three children. Prosecutors argued there was plenty of evidence, calling Reddington’s claim “laughable.”In his ruling, Sullivan said prosecutors had provided adequate evidence for a jury to decide whether Clancy was the person responsible for the killings.“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’s attorney asks judge to investigate conduct of lone juror who wanted to convict herDuring that trial, Reddington didn’t dispute that Clancy killed the children at the family’s home in 2023. Instead, the defence sought to persuade the jury that the 36-year-old former labour and delivery nurse was not criminally responsible because of mental disease, a rare condition called postpartum psychosis.Spokespeople for both Reddington and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz said they had no comment on the ruling.Prosecutors acknowledged that Clancy had mental health problems that included months of treatment and a stay in a psychiatric hospital, but argued that she knew what she was doing when she strangled the children then tried to kill herself.Clancy’s first trial ended Sept. 4 with a deadlocked jury. A judge declared a mistrial with the jury split 11 to one in favour of acquitting Clancy of murder charges.