President Donald Trump has responded to Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer after the attorney publicly asked him to consider a pardon for the Massachusetts mother whose murder trial ended in a mistrial.
Clancy, 36, was accused of killing her three young children at their home in Massachusetts in January 2023. Her defense argued that she was experiencing severe postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings. After seven days of jury deliberations, the trial ended in a mistrial when jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, appealed directly to Trump during a television interview last week, asking him to consider a pardon for his client and take into account her mental health struggles and personal circumstances.
Trump has now responded, saying Clancy’s case is a state matter rather than a federal one. He indicated that he would not offer a presidential pardon and said the situation was tragic.
“There is no winner,” Trump said while discussing the case, noting that three children had died. He also said he had heard that Reddington was a very good attorney and expressed hope that the defense and the state could eventually work something out.
A presidential pardon normally applies to federal offenses, while Clancy is facing state charges. Reddington has acknowledged that limitation but argued that Trump could still use his influence as prosecutors consider what happens next.
The mistrial does not end the case. Prosecutors may seek a retrial, while Clancy’s lawyer has separately asked the judge to find her not guilty by reason of insanity rather than sending the case back to a new jury. A hearing on that request is scheduled for September 29.
For now, Trump’s response makes clear that he does not intend to simply intervene with a presidential pardon. The next major decision will rest with the Massachusetts court and prosecutors as they determine how the case should proceed after the deadlocked jury.