A Massachusetts judge declared a mistrial in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy after jurors said they could not unanimously agree whether she was criminally responsible for killing her three young children. The case has gripped and divided the American public, drawing comment even from the US president, and Clancy's future now hangs in the balance pending further legal proceedings.

Judge Sullivan made the declaration on Friday after the jury signalled deadlock three times, having deliberated for almost a week following weeks of testimony. Clancy's lawyer, Kevin Reddington, made a last-minute bid to halt proceedings, including an emergency appeal to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, but this was rejected. Clancy, 36, a former nurse who does not deny killing children Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, eight months, in 2023, had pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, with her defence citing postpartum psychosis. She remains held on the same charges at the mental health facility where she is currently housed, with a hearing set for 29 September to determine next steps, which could include a retrial or a plea agreement.