The lone juror whose refusal to convict Lindsay Clancy led to a mistrial in her triple-murder trial plans to make a personal statement in the near future, according to his attorney.
Attorney Edward Paltzik said Michael P. Desronvil will speak “in his own words” after weeks of public scrutiny over his position in the jury room. Desronvil was the sole holdout among 12 jurors, refusing to join 11 others who were prepared to find Clancy not criminally responsible.
“Michael will be making a personal statement in the near future, in his own words,” Paltzik wrote in a Facebook post, thanking people who sent emails, texts and voice messages of support while acknowledging others disagree with the stance Desronvil took.
“This country was built on intelligent debate in the public square,” Paltzik wrote. “That’s the same reason we support the good faith right of an individual juror to follow the evidence and the law to wherever they take him or her, free from fear of reprisal.”
The case has returned to national attention. Patrick Clancy, the father of the three children killed and Lindsay Clancy’s ex-husband, gave his first television interview on CBS News’ “60 Minutes” Sunday night, discussing his grief and conspiracy theories that have circulated online since the January 2023 killings. His wife, Dr. Rachel Danis, also appeared in the segment.
What happened at trial
Lindsay Clancy, 36, faced three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan — who were found strangled inside the family’s home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in January 2023.
Clancy admitted to killing the children, but her defense argued she was not criminally responsible due to postpartum psychosis. Prosecutors countered that the former labor and delivery nurse understood her actions and carried them out deliberately.
Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial on Sept. 4 after seven days of deliberations ended with the jury split 11-1.
Desronvil later said he had no doubt prosecutors proved their case. “Based on all the physical evidence, key witnesses and what the prosecution presents, I thought it was enough proof that she knew exactly what she was doing and planned,” he said in a statement first reported by NewsNation and confirmed to Fox News Digital by Paltzik. He said he tried to raise alternative theories during deliberations but was repeatedly cut off by fellow jurors who mistook his questions for uncertainty.
A juror under scrutiny
Desronvil has faced intense public criticism for his refusal to change position. Paltzik, who previously represented President Donald Trump in lawsuits against The New York Times, CBS and ABC News, said he is focused on Desronvil’s “health, safety and well-being,” calling him an “American Hero” and “Champion of Justice.”
Former prosecutor and behavioral health law expert Mark Astor said Desronvil appeared to have hired counsel to defend his name after being “dragged through the mud.”
“The whole idea of the jury is sort of this sacred arena where jurors get to decide a verdict in a case,” Astor said. “And now we’re taking what is really a sacred arena, and we’re exposing it to the public.”
Plymouth County prosecutors have not said whether they will retry Clancy. Her defense team has raised the possibility of resolving the case without a second trial and has brought in veteran Boston attorney Martin Weinberg to pursue a motion seeking dismissal on double-jeopardy grounds.
Clancy is due back in Plymouth Superior Court for a status hearing on Sept. 29, when the path forward may become clearer.
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