Judge in Lindsay Clancy case impounds jurors’ names indefinitely, says at least one has gotten threats

The judge in Lindsay Clancy’s murder case has indefinitely sealed the names of jurors impaneled in the Duxbury mother’s recent mistrial, saying they face a “real and present” risk of harm amid fervent public interest.

Judge William Sullivan previously issued an order Sept. 4 impounding jurors’ names for two weeks. But with Monday’s filing, he extended that ruling “until and unless otherwise ordered by the Court.” 

“This case has garnered and continues to garner significant and divisive attention in Massachusetts, nationally and internationally,” Sullivan explained in the order. “The trial was livestreamed on local and national broadcasting channels. The proceedings have been and continue to be the daily subject of commentary and opinions on various media platforms.”

He noted that the order does not prevent any juror from identifying themselves or speaking publicly about the trial, as some already have. 

“However, the majority of the jurors, deliberating and alternatives, have maintained their anonymity, despite multiple requests to give statements,” Sullivan added. 

In explaining his decision to seal the jury list, Sullivan pointed to a “significant” number of social media posts regarding deliberations in the trial, which ultimately ended with a hung jury. Sullivan also cited the arrest of Dawn Light, a Massachusetts woman accused of filming Clancy trial jurors as they left Plymouth Superior Court after a day of deliberations.

“There have been identifications of jurors and their personal information without their permission, through other sources,” he added. “At least one juror has requested that the order be extended indefinitely.”

In a separate order Monday, Sullivan also temporarily sealed the names of individuals called for jury selection in Clancy’s case, noting that at least one juror had received threats. The so-called venire list will remain impounded for 10 days.

Clancy, 36, is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of her children, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan. She does not deny that she strangled all three children at home in Duxbury on Jan. 24, 2023, but maintains she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time and heard a voice in her head ordering her to kill the children and herself. While prosecutors have acknowledged Clancy struggled with her mental health leading up to the killings, they allege she was still able to tell right from wrong and control her actions. 

Sullivan declared a mistrial on Sept. 4 after the jury of nine women and three men returned deadlocked, though several jurors have said in interviews that a lone holdout was responsible for the impasse. 

The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office has not yet said whether it plans to retry Clancy on first-degree murder, reduce or dismiss her charges, or attempt to negotiate a plea deal. The case is due back in court Sept. 29. 

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between. She has been covering the Lindsay Clancy murder case since January 2023.