Here’s another version at about 600 words, with a stronger focus on Reddington’s reaction to the online speculation and the mistrial:
Lindsay Clancy’s defense attorney is pushing back on some of the most extreme conspiracy theories surrounding her former husband, Patrick Clancy, after the Massachusetts mother’s triple-murder trial ended without a verdict.
Kevin Reddington addressed the online speculation Friday outside Plymouth Superior Court, shortly after Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial following seven days of jury deliberations.
Reporters specifically asked Reddington about social-media users who have accused Patrick of somehow being involved in the deaths of the couple’s three children.
Reddington made clear that accusation did not come from him.
“Not by me,” he responded when a reporter noted that Patrick had been called a murderer online.
Pressed further about Patrick’s role in the tragedy, Reddington pointed to the evidence jurors heard during the trial.
“I think Patrick, you heard the 911 call, I think you can judge his credibility by that 911 call,” Reddington said. “I don’t know what is in Patrick’s mind. He testified, and the jury was able to evaluate it.”
Patrick was away from the family’s Duxbury home when the children were killed on Jan. 24, 2023.
During the trial, prosecutors played his 911 call from that night. After returning home and discovering Lindsay injured outside following her jump from a second-story window, Patrick went inside looking for their children.
The recording captured his reaction after finding 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan in the basement.
“She killed the kids!” Patrick screamed to the dispatcher.
Lindsay has not disputed that she strangled the children with exercise bands before attempting to take her own life.
The central issue at trial was whether she was criminally responsible for the killings.
Her defense argued that severe mental illness, including postpartum psychosis, left her unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her actions. Prosecutors countered that Clancy understood what she was doing and acted deliberately, pointing to her conduct before and after the killings as evidence that she remained capable of distinguishing right from wrong.
The highly publicized trial also generated an enormous amount of online commentary.
Some social-media users began scrutinizing Patrick’s testimony, behavior and personal life, with theories circulating on TikTok, Instagram and other platforms suggesting he was responsible for the deaths despite Lindsay’s acknowledgment that she killed the children.
There has been no evidence presented in court establishing Patrick participated in the killings, and authorities have not charged him with any crime connected to the deaths.
Reddington appeared reluctant to condemn internet sleuths as a group, saying he was sometimes surprised by their ability to locate information and investigate details surrounding high-profile cases.
But he stopped short of validating accusations against Patrick.
The attorney said testifying in a murder trial can also affect how a person appears or speaks, cautioning against reading too much into perceived inconsistencies or nervous behavior on the witness stand.
The renewed attention to Patrick came as Lindsay’s criminal case entered uncertain territory.
Jurors repeatedly reported that they were unable to reach a unanimous decision. According to Reddington, the panel ultimately stood at 11-1, with one juror holding out for a finding of criminal responsibility.
Reddington unsuccessfully sought to have that juror removed, arguing that the juror was not properly applying the court’s instructions concerning reasonable doubt. Sullivan declined to intervene in the jury’s deliberations, and a last-minute defense effort to obtain relief from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court also failed.
Sullivan then declared a mistrial.
The result means Clancy remains charged with killing her children, and prosecutors can seek another trial.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not yet announced whether his office will retry the case. A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 29 to address the next steps.
Patrick, meanwhile, has made clear through his attorneys that he does not want the internet speculation surrounding him to continue.
His lawyer Howard Cooper issued a statement Tuesday calling the accusations “blatant and baseless falsehoods” and warning that people spreading defamatory claims could face legal consequences. Cooper also said some of the online rhetoric had resulted in real-world threats against Patrick and his family.
The online debate therefore continues even as the criminal case itself remains unresolved.
Reddington’s position, however, is considerably narrower: His defense of Lindsay has focused on her mental condition and criminal responsibility — not on an allegation that Patrick killed their children.
