Read Time: 5 min 0 sec | Reading Level: 7th Grade

Lindsay Clancy’s six-week murder trial ended without a decision.

Lindsay Clancy is a 36-year-old former nurse. She admitted to killing her three young children before attempting to kill herself in 2023. But Ms. Clancy pleaded “not guilty” to three first-degree murder charges.

Her lawyers argued that she can’t be held responsible for the murders because she had a rare mental disorder called postpartum psychosis. Postpartum psychosis (PPP) can cause people to see or hear things, become fearful without a good reason, or change their behavior. In severe cases, people with PPP might try to hurt themselves or their kids.

The prosecution argued that she knew what she was doing, knew it was wrong, and that the murders were planned.

All 12 people on the jury had to agree to reach a verdict. They debated for seven days, but one thought she should be blamed for the murders, while the other 11 had doubts. After three failed attempts to agree, the judge declared a mistrial. That means it ended without a decision… no “guilty” or “not guilty.”

If the jury had found her guilty, Clancy could have gone to prison for the rest of her life. If they had found her not guilty, she still wouldn’t have gone free. She would likely have been sent to a psychiatric hospital, similar to where she is now. 

Clancy will wait at the hospital while prosecutors decide their next move. They can take the case to court again, make a deal, or drop the charges. (See this guide on what happens after a mistrial).

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
The world can be a scary place, but even when things look dark, Christians have hope. Jesus, the servant of God, didn’t do any harm, and He suffered on our behalf so that we can live in the Lord’s peaceful presence forever. Knowing this truth, we can mourn with victims, pray for our enemies, and tell other people about the hope we have.

“Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.”
Isaiah 53:4-5 (CSB) (read full passage)

Ask your kids what they have already heard about this story.
This story is heavy and hard in so many different ways. The details of the murder are terrible, and the case raises tough questions about mental health and justice.

Before diving in with your kids, learn what’s weighing on them. As you name specific feelings and mourn together, remember: there is no pain, no darkness, with which our Sinless Savior is not familiar.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV).

What gospel lesson can be taught through this story?
Our unbelieving neighbors don’t have an answer that explains or overcomes evil. But our faith says that wickedness runs right through each of us and holds sway in our world (1 John 5:19); it’s a result of our rebellion from our Maker (Colossians 1:21); and our Creator Himself has disarmed evil by offering His Son (Colossians 2:15).

While we still feel the pain of sin, its time is almost up. Our mission invites us into Spirit-empowered joy that’s rooted not in our world’s circumstances, but in an unshakeable hope.

Believers push back the darkness in our world through prayer. Join TPO in Praying the News, a 5-minute audio devotional that guides you in offering hard headlines to the Lord in prayer. Sign up here and we’ll text it to you.

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What Our Kids Will Thank Us For
Their parents’ stronger marriage after a Weekend to Remember*

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How Our Youngins Are Learning About Community
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