Lindsay Clancy holdout juror says he had no reasonable doubt

Prosecutors have not yet announced whether to retry Clancy

Michael Desronvil, the lone juror whose refusal to acquit deadlocked the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, told Fox News in his first interview since the mistrial that his Christian faith and a careful review of the evidence left him without any reasonable doubt of Clancy’s guilt.

“I made my decision, as far as with the case, based strictly on the evidence that was presented to me, and then the hearing, and paying attention, observing throughout the whole trial,” Desronvil said in the interview Thursday with host Kayleigh McEnany. He added that there was “a lot of evidence to back up my claim,” though he did not share specifics on air. The interview, portions of which The Guardian reported, marked Desronvil’s first extended public account since the mistrial; he had previously released a written statement saying he never had any doubt about Clancy’s guilt and that he “kept getting cut off” as he tried to explain different theories to fellow jurors.

The trial, held in Plymouth County Superior Court in Massachusetts, ended in a mistrial on September 4 after the jury of nine women and three men voted 11-1 to acquit over seven days, totaling roughly 38 hours, of deliberations. Clancy admitted strangling her three children — Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and eight-month-old Callan — at the family’s home in Duxbury in January 2023, and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors have not yet announced whether they will seek to retry her.

Inside the jury room, Desronvil described “tense” discussions. Asked by McEnany whether he felt listened to, he replied: “No. I definitely listened, but some moments in that deliberation room felt like that decisions were being swayed towards one way.” He said “constantly praying” helped him through the 38 hours of talks, and that he read a Bible passage during the interview.

Desronvil said two pieces of evidence weighed most heavily. He was struck by “how methodical Lindsay was in the execution of the children, that was really big for me,” and by the 911 call Clancy’s husband, Patrick Clancy, placed after discovering the children’s bodies. The call was played for jurors but has not been publicly released. “It was surreal. You know, hearing the pain in his voice, hearing the desperation from that clip, it was surreal,” Desronvil said.

The holdout drew sharp criticism from the defense after the mistrial. Kevin Reddington, Clancy’s lead defense attorney, said Desronvil “stole seven weeks of the life of these other jurors” and that his client was “robbed by this man.” Earlier this month, Sullivan rejected Reddington’s motion to override the deadlocked jury’s vote and declare Clancy not guilty.

Reddington also alleged after the trial that Desronvil was biased against people with mental illness and had made a false statement under oath by providing untruthful answers on his jury questionnaire. Desronvil rejected both claims. “I answered the questionnaire truthfully,” he said.

NBC 10 Boston reported during the trial that Desronvil had been charged in 2021 with allegedly assaulting his then-wife; the charge was later dismissed. In the Fox interview, Desronvil denied any history of abuse. “There was no physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse,” he said.

Desronvil, who has a new partner and a young daughter, said he has been harassed at home by the media since the mistrial, and described surveillance footage of reporters rifling through his mail and looking through his windows. He said police had to escort his fiancée home one night. “Of course I’ve been scared,” he said, adding that he had not received any threats of physical harm. He said he was not on social media, did not follow the news, and had “no idea” the Clancy case was as big as it was.

The interview concluded with Desronvil accompanying McEnany to a memorial playground in Duxbury dedicated to the three children. “The focus has to be on the children,” he said. “People need to stand up for what’s right.”