Kathmandu— Jurors in the trial of Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse accused of strangling her three young children in their home in 2023, went home Wednesday after failing to reach a verdict during five days of deliberations. The jury told Judge William Sullivan they were deadlocked for a second straight day, indicating a growing chance of a mistrial. Clancy’s defense argues that postpartum psychosis led to her actions, while prosecutors contend she knew what she was doing.

Judge's Instructions

Judge William Sullivan told the jurors not to abandon their convictions but urged them to seriously consider opposing views and reassess their positions if appropriate. He emphasized that no one knows whether another jury would be “more intelligent, more impartial or more competent to decide it than you are.”

Potential Outcomes

If the jurors ultimately cannot agree on a verdict, Judge Sullivan could declare a mistrial. Prosecutors would then have to decide whether to retry Clancy, drop the charges, or negotiate a plea deal with her lawyer. If convicted of being criminally responsible for her actions, she could face either murder or manslaughter charges. An acquittal might still result in her confinement to a mental health facility if deemed dangerous.

Background on Clancy's Actions

Clancy strangled the children with exercise bands in their home’s basement and then jumped from a second-floor window, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Her lawyers argue she heard voices telling her to kill the children so she could end her own life, citing bipolar disorder and postpartum psychosis as factors. Prosecutors counter that Clancy deliberately sent her ex-husband on errands to get him out of the house and question the seriousness of her suicide attempt.

Incident Outside Court

A woman named Dawn Light, 56, was arrested outside the courthouse for allegedly filming jurors as they left. She claimed she only wanted to photograph Clancy. Judge Sullivan warned spectators against any actions that could affect jurors' impartiality.

(With inputs from AP)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.