PLYMOUTH, Mass. — The defense lawyer for Lindsay Clancy challenged the sufficiency of the evidence linking her to the deaths of her three children during a court hearing Tuesday, marking a notable shift after a trial that centered largely on her mental state rather than direct proof of the killings. Clancy’s previous trial ended on September 4 with a deadlocked jury split 11-1 in her favor.

Attorney Kevin Reddington argued before Judge William Sullivan that the case against Clancy relies primarily on conjecture and that there is insufficient evidence to definitively establish that she was responsible for the children’s deaths. Reddington pointed to Clancy’s condition at the time she was found—badly injured and bleeding outside her home—and her lack of recollection after awakening in a hospital as reasons to question the prosecution’s case.

During the prior trial, neither side disputed that Clancy killed her three children—5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan—in 2023 at their family residence. Rather, the defense aimed to demonstrate that Clancy, a 36-year-old former labor and delivery nurse, was not criminally liable due to postpartum psychosis, a rare mental disorder, contending that she was psychotic and delusional at the time. Reddington did not present alternative explanations for the deaths but emphasized the absence of a direct confession from Clancy.

Prosecutors, led by Shanan Buckingham, strongly opposed the defense’s argument, describing it as “laughable.” They cited various evidence presented during the trial, including testimony that Clancy deliberately arranged for her husband to leave the home under the pretense of running errands, enabling her to act alone. The prosecution maintains that Clancy knowingly used exercise bands to strangle her children and was aware that her actions were wrong.

In court documents filed Monday, prosecutors reiterated that the available evidence supports a conviction. Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz indicated after the hearing that the prosecution has yet to decide whether to pursue a retrial on first-degree murder charges or opt for lesser charges such as second-degree murder or manslaughter. They could also choose to dismiss the case altogether.

“We are going to do what we can for the children,” Cruz said outside the courtroom.

Clancy remains in a psychiatric hospital and faces murder charges. If convicted, she could face a life sentence; if acquitted, the judge could order her continued confinement in a mental health facility.

In addition to contesting the evidence, Clancy’s defense has asked the judge to dismiss the case, arguing procedural issues including the refusal of one juror—Michael Desronvil—to adhere to instructions regarding reasonable doubt. Desronvil has maintained through his attorney that he stood firm in his conviction that Clancy was guilty.

The trial, which was livestreamed, garnered widespread public attention and sparked broader conversations about maternal mental health following childbirth. Outside the courthouse Tuesday, roughly a dozen Clancy supporters, most wearing pink, gathered as the proceedings continued. No new trial date has yet been set.