Lindsay Clancy trial puts criminal attorney in the spotlight
The Lindsay Clancy murder trial ended in a mistrial after seven days of jury deliberations, thrusting criminal attorney Kevin Reddington—and prosecutors Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham—into a viral spotlight as cameras broadcast every moment from Plymouth Superior Court in Massachusetts.
Key Takeaways
- A mistrial was declared Sept. 4, 2026, after nearly six weeks of trial and seven days of deliberations.
- Criminal attorney Kevin Reddington argued postpartum psychosis; prosecutors said Clancy was criminally responsible.
- Social media nicknamed Reddington “Shreddington,” with more than 16,000 TikTok videos using his hashtag.
- Plymouth County DA Timothy Cruz said prosecutors faced social-media threats; next-steps hearing is set for Sept. 29.
What happened in the Lindsay Clancy trial?
Lindsay Clancy pleaded not guilty to three murder charges in the Jan. 24, 2023, deaths of her children—Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and infant Callan—at the family’s home in Duxbury, Massachusetts. The nearly six-week trial was broadcast online and on television.
According to ABC News, Reddington argued Clancy was suffering from postpartum psychosis when she strangled her children and attempted to take her own life. Assistant District Attorneys Jennifer Sprague and Shanan Buckingham argued she was criminally responsible.
On Friday, Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial. All three lawyers are scheduled back in court on Sept. 29 to determine next steps. Cruz declined to announce an immediate decision on a retrial.
Who is the criminal attorney defending Lindsay Clancy?
Kevin Reddington is a criminal attorney in private practice in Brockton, Massachusetts, who graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 1975. He represented Clancy alone at the defense table, with help from his son, Patrick Reddington, also an attorney.
The BBC reported that Reddington’s courtroom style—holding Clancy’s hand, raising his voice in closings, and once slamming papers after a juror-removal request was denied—became a spectacle for global audiences. He previously won freedom for Therese Rogers in 1989 with an insanity defense and later represented Catherine Greig, longtime partner of James “Whitey” Bulger.
Reddington, 75, said he never expected this level of attention: he thought interest would center on postpartum depression and psychosis, not a media swarm around him.
Why did social media fixate on Reddington and the prosecutors?
The ABA Journal noted fans call him “Big Redd” and “Shreddington,” with more than 16,000 TikTok videos tagged #kevinreddington. One popular clip topped 123,000 likes. Clancy’s defense cited overmedication, bipolar disorder, and postpartum psychosis.
Sprague has worked at the Plymouth County DA’s office since 2003 and delivered closing arguments; Buckingham, who joined in 2011, leads the Family Protection Unit. After the mistrial, Cruz condemned online vilification and threats against his prosecutors and their families.
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What happens next after the mistrial?
Reddington had urged the judge not to declare a mistrial, arguing a lone holdout was not applying the law and winning a brief delay to appeal. A date was set for him to argue again for a not-guilty finding. Whether prosecutors retry Clancy remains undecided pending the Sept. 29 hearing.