Watch: BBC's Ione Wells explains what could happen next in the case
After a week of mulling Lindsay Clancy's fate, a judge has declared a mistrial in the case of the US mother accused of murdering her three young children.
It came after the jury said they could not reach a unanimous verdict on whether Clancy was guilty of murder.
The declaration opens the door to a host of possibilities about what happens next.
Clancy, who faced three counts of first-degree murder, does not deny killing her children in 2023 but pleaded not guilty, with her lawyers arguing she was suffering from postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible.
The prosecution said she made a calculated, intentional decision to kill them.
The moment judge declares a mistrial in Lindsay Clancy case
Under US law, the jury must unanimously reach a conclusion "beyond a reasonable doubt". If they cannot, the judge can call a mistrial, which ends the trial with no verdict.
Jurors in Clancy's trial had been deadlocked for days, and told the judge three times that they were unable to come to a unanimous decision.
Massachusetts Superior Court Judge William Sullivan, who was overseeing the trial, previously urged them to continue deliberating until there is no possible chance of a decision.
In a last-ditch effort he issued additional instructions, known as a Tuey-Rodriguez charge in the state, encouraging the panel to consider all perspectives and ensuring jurors were questioning and examining their own views in the case.
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The jury continued to indicate they could not come to a consensus, leading the judge on Friday to say he had no choice but to declare a mistrial.
This does not mean prosecutors have proven their case, nor does it mean the defendant is not guilty.
