Paltzik calls him ‘American hero’; foreperson says he admitted doubt
Records surfaced in the days after the Lindsay Clancy murder trial ended in a mistrial show that the lone holdout juror faced a 2021 domestic violence charge, an active civil restraining order for allegedly assaulting his nephew, and eviction proceedings while serving on the jury, NBC10 and the Boston Globe report.
Michael P Desronvil, 48, was the sole member of the jury to vote against acquitting Clancy by reason of insanity. The 11-1 deadlock prompted Judge William F Sullivan to declare a mistrial in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on September 4, 2026, after the panel deliberated for nearly 40 hours over seven days. The disclosures about Desronvil’s personal legal issues have raised questions over the jury selection process, according to The Guardian.
Two weeks after the mistrial, Desronvil broke his silence with a statement to NewsNation on Thursday, defending his vote and saying he “didn’t have any doubts” about Clancy’s guilt.
“I didn’t have any doubts. 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,” Desronvil said. “Based on all the physical evidence, key witnesses and what the prosecution presents, I thought it was enough proof that she (Clancy) knew exactly what she was doing and planned.”
But Roni Carlson, the jury’s foreperson, told NBC10 earlier this month that Desronvil acknowledged he had reasonable doubt during deliberations — a statement Carlson said prompted her to begin filling out the three forms required to acquit Clancy by reason of insanity. Carlson said she wrote her signature on each form before Desronvil reversed course and refused to sign off on the verdict.
“There were three forms I had to fill out and I started filling them out, I wrote my signature on each one, and then he said, ‘But I’m still not going to say that she’s not guilty by reason of insanity,’” Carlson said.
Two other jurors have publicly described Desronvil’s behavior during the panel’s deliberations. Kellie Farina said he “had the hardest time getting off the fact that Lindsay viciously killed her children,” adding, “Every one of us in the hours of our frustration would get up and walk the room because you just couldn’t sit anymore.” Paula Devlin said Desronvil “was very arrogant,” adding that he “really did not take anything that anybody said.”
Desronvil’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, has publicly defended his client, describing him as “an American hero and champion of justice” who will “not be giving any interviews at this time.” In a Friday statement on X, Paltzik warned that “any attempts to contact our Heroic Lone Holdout Juror will not be well-taken.”
“Please respect his dignity, humanity, and privacy. Stay away from his home, stop calling him, and don’t even think about deciphering his location,” Paltzik wrote.
Clancy, 36, a former labor and delivery nurse, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges by reason of insanity. Her defense team argued she was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she fatally strangled her three children in Massachusetts in 2023. The trial, which The Guardian reported drew nationwide attention to systemic gaps in maternal mental health care, lasted nearly six weeks. The jury comprised nine women and three men.
The Guardian also linked to a separate report that Ron DeSantis offered “asylum” to Desronvil amid the public attention to the case.
Plymouth District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not publicly stated whether he will retry Clancy. Her defense lawyer, Kevin Reddington, has said he will ask for the jury to be sequestered in any new trial. Judge Sullivan has scheduled a hearing for September 29 to determine next steps.