US President Donald Trump has declined to intervene in the case of Lindsay Clancy, a 36-year-old Massachusetts woman accused of killing her three young children in January 2023.
Clancy faces three counts of first-degree murder over the deaths of Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan.
Also read: Lindsay Clancy Case Exposes Growing Bias Around Mental Health
Trump addressed the pardon appeal on Sunday after Clancy’s lawyer, Kevin Reddington, publicly asked the president to intervene in the case.
“It’s a very sad situation,” Trump said when asked whether he would pardon Clancy.
“There is no winner there. There is no win no matter what you do. Three children are dead. So, I don’t know. It’s actually a state situation, you know, not a federal.”
Trump’s comments effectively ruled out presidential intervention, as the case falls under Massachusetts state jurisdiction rather than federal jurisdiction.
Reddington had acknowledged that Trump does not have the authority to pardon someone convicted of a state offence. Despite that limitation, the lawyer appealed to the president last week to help his client.
Trump described Reddington as a capable lawyer and said he hoped the matter could be resolved at state level.
“He’s a good attorney. I’ve heard from other people he’s a very good attorney,” Trump said.
“I hope they can work it out. That’s something they have to work out … There is no win there.”
Clancy’s defence has argued that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis, a severe psychiatric condition that can develop after childbirth and, in some cases, cause a person to lose contact with reality.
The case has attracted significant attention because of the circumstances surrounding the deaths and the defence’s argument over Clancy’s mental state at the time.
After the deaths of her children, Clancy attempted suicide and sustained injuries that left her paralysed.
Her first trial ended in a mistrial earlier in September after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict following a week of deliberations.
The jury was reportedly split 11-1, with 11 jurors favouring an acquittal on the grounds that Clancy was not criminally responsible for the killings.
The unresolved case leaves Clancy facing further proceedings in Massachusetts, where prosecutors and defence lawyers will continue to contest whether she should be held legally responsible for the deaths.
Also read: Lindsay Clancy Case Exposes Growing Bias Around Mental Health
Trump’s response means the case will remain within the state justice system rather than becoming the subject of federal presidential intervention.
Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.
