Michael Desronvil, the lone holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial, pushed back against fellow jurors’ accounts of the deliberations. He said he “didn’t have any doubts” about his decision to find Clancy criminally responsible.
The jury deadlocked 11-1 on September 4, prompting Judge William Sullivan to declare a mistrial. Clancy had admitted killing her three children but pleaded not guilty to the murder charges, arguing that she was not criminally responsible because of postpartum psychosis.
Holdout juror disputes fellow jurors’ claims about the Lindsay Clancy mistrial
Desronvil gave his account in a statement obtained by CBS News through his representative, Ray Marcel.
“I didn’t have any doubts,” he said. He added that other jurors cut him off while he tried explaining different theories. “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,” Desronvil said.
His comments contradicted accounts from fellow jurors. Foreperson Roni Carlson previously told NBC10 Boston that Desronvil acknowledged having reasonable doubt but still refused to find Clancy not criminally responsible. Another juror, Paula Devlin, said the panel spent days trying to change his mind.
Desronvil disputed that characterization. Through Marcel, he described the nearly 40 hours of deliberations as contentious from the beginning. Clancy’s attorney, Kevin Reddington, had previously asked the judge to remove the juror, but Sullivan rejected the request.
The controversy continued after the mistrial. Desronvil’s identity became public, followed by the release of personal information and reported death threats. Attorney Edward Andrew Paltzik announced that he represented him and said the juror was staying at an undisclosed secure location in Northern New England.
Paltzik called Desronvil “an American Hero and Champion of Justice” in a post on X. He also said those attacking the juror would face accountability “to the maximum extent of the law and beyond.”
The case also brought scrutiny over Desronvil’s past. CBS News reported that he faced a 2021 domestic violence charge involving his then-wife, which was later dismissed. The charge stemmed from an allegation that he grabbed his wife by the throat and threw her into a dresser. It remained unclear whether he disclosed the allegation during jury selection.
Meanwhile, Clancy’s defense sought to have the case dismissed on double-jeopardy grounds. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will retry her, and another hearing is scheduled for September 29.
