The lone holdout juror in the high-profile Lindsay Clancy triple-murder trial moved to an undisclosed, secure location in a rural area of Northern New England.
Michael Desronvil relocated after receiving intense media scrutiny, doxxing and death threats following the declaration of a mistrial, his attorney said Thursday.
The lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, released a statement confirming that Mr. Desronvil skipped town to escape the public backlash and lay low.
The murder trial ended in a mistrial on Sept. 4 after a jury deadlocked and failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
Ms. Clancy was charged with three counts of first-degree murder for the January 2023 strangulation of her three children: Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months, at their Massachusetts home.
Her defense attorneys did not deny that she killed the children, but argued she was not criminally responsible because she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis.
Prosecutors argued that Ms. Clancy understood her actions, planned the killings and acted intentionally.
After seven days and roughly 40 hours of deliberations, the jury informed the judge it was deadlocked.
Reports and subsequent juror interviews revealed a split of 11 jurors favoring an acquittal by reason of insanity and one lone holdout juror favoring a conviction.
Defense lawyers made unsuccessful emergency appeals to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to remove the holdout juror, but Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial.
Mr. Desronvil said he “didn’t have any doubts” about his position on Ms. Clancy’s criminal responsibility.
“As I tried to explain different possible theories during deliberation, I kept getting cut off as if I had doubts based on the evidence present,” he said in a statement. “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.”
Mr. Paltzik called his client the “courageous and heroic lone holdout juror.”
He added on social media, “Rest assured that the evil people who have so viciously attacked this American Hero and Champion of Justice will be held accountable to the maximum extent of the law and beyond.”
Mr. Desronvil reportedly has an active civil restraining order against him related to an allegation that he assaulted his nephew, plus was facing eviction proceedings at the time of the trial.
In a separate matter, he was arrested in 2021 on a charge of domestic violence assault and battery after police said he was accused of grabbing his then-wife by the throat and throwing her into a dresser during an argument. He pleaded not guilty, and the charge was later dismissed.
Ms. Clancy remains hospitalized in a psychiatric facility awaiting the resolution of her case.
The court scheduled a hearing for Sept. 29 to determine the next legal steps, which could include a retrial by the prosecution.
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