Defense Attorney Kevin Reddington Asks President Trump to Pardon Lindsay Clancy After Mistrial
NEEDHAM, Mass. — Defense attorney Kevin Reddington called on President Donald Trump to pardon his client, Lindsay Clancy, during a Tuesday morning appearance on “Good Morning America.” The request comes after a mistrial was declared last week in the high-profile Massachusetts murder case.
Attorney Makes Direct Appeal to President Trump
Reddington, a 75-year-old Brockton-based attorney who gained national attention for his fiery defense during Clancy’s murder trial, spoke candidly about the next steps in the case.
“I’d like to say that perhaps Donald Trump, who felt compelled to speak out about this case, may very well… Mr. President, I would hope that you would consider this young lady, the type of person she is, what she has been through, and consider a pardon,” Reddington said.
Trump Previously Commented on Case
When asked about the case on Friday, Trump described it as a “horrible tragedy.”
“It’s a terrible situation. Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing. It can’t be worse. But, we will find out what the price to pay is. There will be a price. It’s going to be mental institution or jail or something,” Trump said.
Mistrial Declared After Jury Deadlock
Clancy is accused of strangling her three children — Cora, Dawson, and Callan — in 2023. She did not dispute causing their deaths, but Reddington argued she should not be found criminally responsible due to postpartum psychosis at the time.
The jury deliberated for seven days before reporting a deadlock at 11-1, with a single holdout juror refusing to acquit. Judge William Sullivan ultimately declared a mistrial after the jury reported deadlock multiple times.
Reddington said he respects the juror’s right to hold out but believes the juror did not follow the law as instructed.
“(The juror) had agreed, according to the note from the forelady, that he had doubt but he would not apply the law of reasonable doubt as presented by the judge. That is not right,” Reddington said.
Reddington made a last-minute motion to the Supreme Judicial Court to replace the holdout juror, but the motion was denied.
Prosecutor Has Not Announced Retrial Plans
Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz has not indicated whether he plans to retry the case. Reddington expressed hope they can avoid another trial.
“I hope, however, after sitting through this trial and seeing the evidence that was presented from the government, as well as from the defense, that he would revisit that issue and hopefully would be willing to work something out that would be acceptable to both sides,” Reddington said.
Reddington Criticizes Prosecution
Last week, Reddington lashed out at Cruz for pursuing the murder case.
“Cruz knows that he was crushed; he doesn’t have a case, he doesn’t have to stand here and say that he’s advocating on behalf of the victims and then look down to see what their names are,” Reddington said. “I’m representing a woman who is a fantastic, wonderful individual. This woman is so brave… every day she came in this courthouse, stood tall… sat there through seven weeks of a trial where nobody had anything bad to say about her except the two prosecutors and apparently Tim Cruz.”
Upcoming Court Dates
Clancy is scheduled to return to court later this month for a status hearing, trial assignment, and a hearing on a rule allowing a judge to review a jury’s verdict. While a timeline remains unclear, Reddington has said he is “ready to go” as early as next week if necessary.
Attorney Details Family History and Medical Treatment
Reddington provided background on the family’s circumstances leading up to the tragedy.
“The bottom line is that this couple, they were a family, and they had the children — Cora, Dawson, Callan — and as a family, they were very, very, very happy. That summer of (2022), they were very happy. It was the top of the world for them and the children, and then she had the postpartum depression that struck at the end of September and into October. And this young lady had the pleasure of being introduced, if you will, to a psychiatrist, who had been practicing as a doctor for a month, who advertised that she was an expert in postpartum, and Lindsay just went to see this doctor, which was the worst thing that she ever could have done because she was then placed on all of these medications,” Reddington said.
Reddington Prepares for Second Murder Trial
While facing a potential retrial in the Clancy case, Reddington is also scheduled to begin another murder trial in Western Massachusetts. His client, Kelsie Cote, faces charges including murder, armed assault and battery, and withholding evidence in the Halloween 2022 killing of her grandmother.
Reddington called Cote a “very nice young lady” and said he is “ready to go on that too.” Cote’s next hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28, one day before Clancy’s next hearing on the other side of the state.
“Between Lindsay and Kelsie, we’ll get them done,” Reddington said on Friday.
Notable Past Cases
Reddington, a member of the Massachusetts Bar since 1975, has a history of high-profile defenses. He represented Dr. Ingolf Tuerk, a urologist convicted of voluntary manslaughter in his wife’s 2020 death. Reddington admitted Tuerk took his wife’s life but argued it was not premeditated and that she struck him first. Tuerk was sentenced in 2025 to 12-16 years at Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, a maximum-security facility in Shirley, Massachusetts.
In 2012, Reddington represented Catherine Greig in a federal trial connected to her time as a fugitive with former Boston mob boss James “Whitey” Bulger. After Greig was sentenced to eight years, Reddington called Bulger the “love of her life” and said she had no regrets.