Trump says admitted child-killer Lindsay Clancy did 'a horrible thing,' says she will likely 'pay a price' for crime

President Donald Trump commented on the case of Lindsay Clancy from the White House on Friday, saying the Massachusetts mother who admitted to killing her three kids did “a horrible, horrible thing.”

He said it was “hard not to follow” the case, the trial for which had stretched on for weeks, in addition to seven days of deliberations by the jury before a mistrial was declared late Friday afternoon due to one male juror who held out against 11 others who wanted to find her not guilty. 

“It’s a shame, it’s a horrible tragedy,” Trump said of the incident. In January of 2023, Clancy strangled her three children to death, then attempted to kill herself. Her defense claimed during the trial that she was suffering from postpartum mental illness and hearing voices commanding her to kill her kids, while the prosecution argued that her actions were premeditated. 

He continued, referencing the mistrial, “I assume there’s going to be another trial. It’s a terrible situation. Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing. Can’t be worse, but you’ll find out what the price to pay is. There’ll be a price. It’s going to be mental institution or jail or something, but I guess they’re going to go through another trial.” 

Judge William Sullivan was prepared to declare a mistrial around noon after the jurors came back still deadlocked, however, he granted defense attorney Kevin Reddington time to file an emergency motion with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. After a brief hearing on the matter, the motion for a stay was denied. 

Clancy received support from women around the world as the trial gained more public attention, with rallies being held in support and a GoFundMe for her parents raising over $1 million. Supporters were seen wearing pink, including inside the courtroom.