What can I say to my
U.S.
Saturday, September 19, 2026

Clancy holdout juror: “I didn’t have any doubts”

Michael Desronvil was the one juror of 12 who would not clear Lindsay Clancy of murder for strangling her three children in 2023. In his first public statement he said he had no doubts she knew what she was doing. The other 11 believed she had postpartum psychosis. The judge declared a mistrial Sept. 4. A retrial is undecided.

Source: PBS NewsHour
Ages 5–7
Don’t raise it. If they hear it, say this:

A mom in Massachusetts got very sick in her mind after her baby was born, and she killed her three children. Twelve grown-ups had to decide if she was too sick to know what she was doing. Eleven said yes, one said no, so nothing is decided. That sickness is very rare, like lightning, and you are safe with us.

Why it worksTwo things only: it is rare, and you are safe. A five-year-old who has heard this is not working on the jury, they are working on whether their own mother could. Lightning is the comparison because they know it happens and know it will not happen to them. Say the safe line twice.

They might ask
“Why couldn’t they all agree?”
One man thought she knew what she was doing. Eleven thought she was too sick to know. They talked for days and still didn’t agree, so they stopped.

Also written for and .

Ages 8–12
Bring it up if it fits the day

Lindsay Clancy killed her three children in 2023. The trial asked whether a rare illness after birth meant she couldn’t tell right from wrong. A jury must agree 12 to 0, like a team vote where one no blocks the play. It went 11 to 1.

Why it worksThe unanimous rule is a mechanism a ten-year-old can test, and they will: what if one person never budges? Then nothing is decided, which is what happened. The script gives them the team vote and the 11 to 1. Expect “so is she guilty?” Nobody decided. That is what a mistrial means.

They might ask
“What happens now?”
Nobody knows yet. The prosecutor can try the case again with a new jury, or make a deal. Her lawyer wants a deal.
“Did she really know what she was doing?”
That’s the whole fight. A defense psychiatrist said she was hallucinating. Her own psychiatrist saw no psychosis.

Also written for and .

Ages 13–17
Ask first, then talk

Can someone be so sick that killing her own kids isn’t a crime? Eleven jurors said yes for Lindsay Clancy. One said no, and now he’s somewhere secure with a $289,000 fundraiser and Florida’s governor offering “asylum.” Hero, villain, or a juror doing his job?

Why it worksEleven people and one, a real illness, and a rule that lets a single voice stop everything. A teenager can hold all of it without needing a verdict, which the script asks by leaving three options open. The fundraiser and the governor’s offer are in there because the aftermath is its own question.

They might ask
“Is one juror allowed to just refuse?”
Yes. A verdict needs all 12. Other jurors say he ignored the reasonable-doubt rule. He says they cut him off.
“Why is he getting money and threats?”
Praised and scorned online, with his past debts and a dismissed charge made public. His lawyer says he’s somewhere secure.

Also written for and .

The dinner table question

Based on the headline: Clancy holdout juror: “I didn’t have any doubts”

Should one person be able to stop a group from deciding?

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