Nick Dargie, the first male juror to comment publicly, also said he was “shocked” after the holdout appeared to mimic Clancy strangling one of her children.
Lindsay Clancy and attorney Kevin Reddington watch jurors as Judge William Sullivan asks them to continue deliberations. Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger, Pool
September 10, 2026 | 11:58 AM
3 minutes to read
The holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial scrolled on his phone during deliberations, couldn’t show evidence to back up his stance, and at one point even appeared to mimic Clancy strangling her children, a fellow juror told ABC News.
Nick Dargie said in the interview he was “shocked” after the man picked up one of the exercise bands Clancy used to strangle 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan in January 2023. He said the man proceeded to tie the band around an empty water bottle and pulled it in an apparent attempt to reenact the killings.
“It didn’t make any sense to me,” Dargie recalled. “We’re not in here to play detective; it’s not a game of Clue. Like, this is serious.”
The 25-year-old, who was previously stationed overseas in the military and knew nothing of Clancy’s high-profile case, is the first male juror to speak publicly following last week’s mistrial. He was one of three men on the deliberating jury, which ultimately returned deadlocked following reports of one holdout who was allegedly ignoring Judge William Sullivan’s instructions on reasonable doubt.
Clancy, 36, has admitted to strangling her children at home in Duxbury on Jan. 24, 2023. Her trial focused primarily on her mental health and state of mind leading up to and during the killings, with Clancy arguing she was in the throes of postpartum psychosis and heard a voice in her head ordering her to kill the children and herself. By contrast, prosecutors alleged that Clancy was still able to tell right from wrong even as her mental health declined and could have stopped herself from killing her children.
Dargie said he sided with 10 other jurors and voted to find Clancy not guilty by reason of insanity — in other words, not criminally responsible.
He alleged the one holdout “explicitly said, ‘I don’t know if the prosecution or the defense proved their case.’” In Massachusetts, the burden is on the prosecution — not the defense — to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant is guilty of the alleged offense and was criminally responsible for their conduct.
“There was several times I would ask him to show us evidence or describe a witness testimony that helped to prove what he was saying, and he couldn’t,” Dargie said. “Otherwise, there’s nothing wrong with somebody having a completely opposite opinion — that would be a hung jury. That is our justice system.”
He further alleged there were times the holdout “wouldn’t engage” in deliberations with the rest of the jury.
“Like, he’d be scrolling on his phone while people were talking to him. Things like that,” Dargie added.
Reflecting on the emotionally charged evidence in Clancy’s case, Dargie said he “can’t close my eyes without imagining those kids” and will never forget the anguished 911 call Clancy’s then-husband made upon returning home the night of the killings. The 911 recording was played aloud in court but barred from public release due to the sensitive nature.
“I’ve never heard something like that, a scream like that, come out of someone’s mouth,” Dargie said. “It’s horrifying.”
The Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office has not yet said whether it plans to retry Clancy on first-degree murder, reduce the charges, or try to resolve her case through a plea deal.
“I would think if they tried the trial again the way they did, I think nine times out of 10, I think a jury would come back with [a verdict of] not guilty by reason of insanity,” Dargie said. “No doubt in my mind.”
Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between. She has been covering the Lindsay Clancy murder case since January 2023.
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