Add The New York Post on Google Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday offered the lone holdout juror of the Lindsay Clancy case “asylum” after a report alleged that the juror had faced domestic violence accusations in the past.
The juror — who was the sole holdout after the panel split 11-1 on whether to find Clancy not guilty due to mental disease or defect — was the subject of a controversial NBC10 Boston report that detailed the unidentified man’s alleged history of domestic violence.
DeSantis said the report was an attempt at damaging the reputation of the man, who has not identified himself but who others on the jury said is black and in his 30s.
“A man objected to allowing a woman to kill her three young kids and get away with it, so NBC is trying to smear that juror, whose identity should be protected. Another low for legacy media,” DeSantis wrote on X in response to the NBC10 report.
“If the juror is being harassed, Florida will provide asylum — I’m sure he’d be welcomed and appreciated.”
NBC10 Boston reported that the juror was accused of attacking his wife in September 2021 and that last year his nephew had taken out a restraining order against him. The man also faces a pending eviction case by his landlord for $12,000 of unpaid rent, the outlet reported.
Court records show that the juror divorced his wife after the alleged incident in 2021 and that the criminal charge against him was dismissed — although his ex-wife said she backed away from pursuing the case because she was worried that testifying could cause her to lose custody of her daughter, the outlet reported.
Juror questionnaires in Massachusetts ask prospective jurors whether they have been arrested, charged with a crime, or been served with a court order — all which should have been answered affirmatively by the holdout juror, NBC10 reported.
NBC10’s report came as others on the Clancy jury spoke about the lone holdout.
Juror Paula Devlin told Gayle King on CBS Mornings on Friday that the holdout juror was a black man — and the only person of color on the panel.
Another juror, Nick Dargie, spoke to ABC News about the holdout’s alleged behavior during deliberations, claiming he was disengaged.
“There wasn’t a single piece of evidence or witness testimony that he used to prove why he was thinking the way he was,” Dargie said.
Dargie also alleged that the lone holdout wrapped one of the exercise bands Clancy used to kill her children– Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months– around a water bottle to mimic their strangulation in the deliberation room.
“I was so shocked. We’re not here to play detective – it’s not a game of Clue. This is serious,” said Dargie.
“I asked him why are you doing that? That’s a band that was used to strangle a child. That’s disgusting.”
NBC10 did not respond to The Post’s request for comment.
