Michael Desronvil, Lindsay Clancy trial holdout juror explains guilty verdict push; hires Nolan Wells case-linked lawyer

The lone holdout juror whose vote led to a mistrial in the high-profile Lindsay Clancy trial has hired attorney Edward Andrew Paltzik, the lawyer who represented late teen Nolan Wells' friends. The juror was doxxed amid backlash online following the mistrial.

The lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial has retained attorney Edward Andrew Paltzik after facing public backlash. (Greg Derr/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)Paltzik announced on X that he now represents the juror. He described his client as a “courageous and heroic” American and a “Champion of Justice.” He said the juror is staying at an undisclosed secure location in rural Northern New England after receiving threats and intense public backlash.

The attorney announced on X that any GoFundMe or GiveSendGo pages claiming to raise money for the juror are unauthorized and should be treated as scams.

NewsNation's Brian Entin shared a statement from the juror, identified as Michael P. Desronvil, in which he defended his position during jury deliberations.

"I didn't have any doubts," Desronvil said in the statement shared by Entin. “As I tried to explain different possible theories during deliberation, I kept getting cut off as if I had doubts based on the evidence present.”

He added that the prosecution's evidence convinced him Lindsay Clancy acted knowingly. “Based on all the physical evidence, key witnesses, and what the prosecution presents, I thought it was enough proof that she knew exactly what she was doing and planned,” the statement said.

However, following the mistrial, multiple jurors said the holdout juror refused to meaningfully engage in deliberations and did not properly apply the legal standard of reasonable doubt.

The Lindsay Clancy trial ended in a mistrial after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict. Eleven jurors reportedly voted to find Clancy not criminally responsible by reason of insanity. But the lone holdout voted against that conclusion. Under Massachusetts law, a unanimous verdict was required, resulting in a hung jury.

The holdout juror has since become the focus of public attention. NBC Boston previously reported that he had faced domestic violence allegations in 2021. The criminal charge was later dismissed, although the outlet reported that a restraining order from a family member remained active when he was selected for jury service.

“Rest assured that the evil people who have so viciously attacked this American Hero and Champion of Justice will be held accountable to the maximum extent of the law and beyond," Paltzik wrote in his statement.

However, Paltzik did not address the allegations against his client in his public statement.

Paltzik is also representing Warren Hudson, Jax Pitalo and Morgan Seymour, friends of Nolan Wells, in a separate high-profile case. TMZ reported that last month, he said the three young men were "completely innocent" and had no involvement in Wells' death.

Shirin Gupta is a content producer with the Hindustan Times. She covers everything between politics, entertainment and sports at the US desk. Shirin got interested in political journalism during her time as a web editor at her college newspaper NCC News in Syracuse when she first started seeing the effects of national politics in life of her fellow colleagues. Shirin has worked on a wide range of fast-moving and developing stories locally when she was at NCC editing accessible reports for the audience. Her current role requires her to track real-time updates, verify information and present balanced coverage across diverse beats. Covering US politics from an international newsroom perspective has further deepened her understanding of how domestic decisions can have far-reaching global consequences. With a keen interest in international affairs, Shirin continues to build her expertise in geopolitics, policy shifts, and cross-border developments. She aims to learn and evolve her reporting in matters of geopolitics and international issues. Outside the newsroom Shirin writes about books and music for her personal blog. She is an avid consumer of pop culture and reveres literature.Read More