The lone juror whose refusal to join the other 11 jurors resulted in a deadlocked jury and mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy murder case has broken his silence, disputing claims from fellow jurors that he showed doubt about the prosecution’s case during deliberations.
Attorney Edward Paltzik confirmed Thursday that he now represents Michael P. Desronvil, the holdout juror, describing him in a social media post as an “American Hero and Champion of Justice” who is currently staying at an undisclosed location in rural New England.
Mr. Desronvil’s account, relayed through his attorney, contradicts statements from other jurors who said after the mistrial that he appeared to acknowledge reasonable doubt but still refused to join the other 11 in acquitting Ms. Clancy by reason of insanity. In his own statement, Mr. Desronvil said, “I didn’t have any doubts,” adding that he felt he kept getting cut off while trying to walk fellow jurors through alternative theories of the evidence.
CBS News reported that the jury deadlocked 11-1 after seven days of deliberations, prompting Judge William Sullivan to declare a mistrial on Sept. 4. Ms. Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, has admitted to killing her three children — Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months — at the family’s Duxbury, Massachusetts, home in January 2023, but argued she was not criminally responsible due to severe mental illness.
The dispute over Mr. Desronvil’s conduct comes as scrutiny of his background intensifies. CBS News separately reported that he was charged with domestic violence assault and battery in Brockton, Massachusetts, in 2021 after police said he grabbed his wife by the throat; he pleaded not guilty, and the charge was later dismissed. A CBS legal analyst said the relevant question is whether he disclosed the allegation on his juror questionnaire, though it remains unclear whether that would affect the case now that a mistrial has already been declared.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not said whether prosecutors will seek a retrial. The case returns to court Sept. 29.
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