Lindsay Clancy could earn a huge amount of money from 'Son of Sam' law loophole
Lindsay Clancy could benefit from her notoriety because of one little detail surrounding a landmark 'Son of Sam' law in most US states.
It has been a tough time for jurors, who, after weeks of testimony and almost 40 hours of deliberations, could not reach a unanimous vote, leading to Judge William Sullivan to declare a mistrial on the Clancy case.
But her lawyer Kevin Reddington has asked that she is made not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.
In the motion, filed just yesterday (Thursday 10 September), Reddington said the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office should not attempt to try the case a second time as it claimed the prosecution doesn't have the evidence to prove his client is criminally responsible for the killings of Cora, Dawson and Callan, in the basement of their family home in Massachusetts, US, in 2023.
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But something else has come out since the filing, which is that Clancy could potentially make bank if she decides to.
That's because of a little-known laws called the Son of Sam law.
The fact is that while this law pertains to many other states in the US which would prevent criminal offenders from being able to cash in on their crimes, via book deals, interviews, documentaries and more, there's no such thing in Massachusetts.
Named after New York serial killer David Berkowitz, who went on a killing spree in the 1970s, the law was created to stop him from using his notoriety to his advantage.
When it comes to Clancy, she hasn't given a first-person account in public of her version of events, and the court heard information about the case which was predominantly through medical records, text messages, interviews, and expert testimonies.
If she chose to sell her own story, create a memoir, or sign an entertainment deal, there's nothing in her State that is stopping her from being paid big time.
But that doesn't mean lawmakers haven't tried to stop criminals from making money off their crimes.
Republican state Rep. Bradley H. Jones Jr. introduced a proposal, known as H.1789, in January 2025 which is 'legislation to authorize the Division of Victim Compensation and Assistance to monitor profits from criminal activities of incarcerated persons.'
This, if accepted, would see anyone charged, convicted, or having admitted to committing a crime, being unable to profit from what they did.
This would then cover Clancy in either case, because it would also cover defendants found not guilty by reason of insanity – which is what Clancy's defence team has been trying to push.
But the bill was given a March 2026 date for consideration, and six months later, it still hasn't come to pass.
In 2002, a similar law had been proposed, but did not come to fruition.
According to the Reporters Committee For Freedom of the Press, it was barred for fears it could interfere with another law.
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on said the proposed Son of Sam law would 'restrict the free speech rights of criminals' on its 14 March 14 ruling.
However, that was 24 years ago, so that's not to saw another law couldn't be considered at this time.
Topics: Lindsay Clancy, US News, Crime
Britt Jones