Michael P. Desronvil has spoken out publicly for the first time since triggering a mistrial in Lindsay Clancy’s murder trial.
Desronvil, 48, a Bridgewater resident and father from a Haitian immigrant family, issued a statement Thursday to News Nation pushing back against fellow jurors who accused him of refusing to budge on Clancy’s guilt despite supposedly harboring doubts. The holdout juror insisted his position never wavered throughout deliberations.
“I didn’t have any doubts. 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,” Desronvil said in the statement. “Based on all the physical evidence, key witnesses, and what the prosecution presents, I thought it was enough proof that she [Clancy] knew exactly what she was doing and planned.”
His newly retained attorney, Edward Paltzik, who has previously represented Donald Trump, cast Desronvil in heroic terms on X the same day. Paltzik described his client as “a devoted father and man of God” while requesting prayers for Desronvil’s safety.
“This American Hero and Champion of Justice loves the United States of America as the greatest country in the world; cherishes our sacred Constitution as the pinnacle of human liberty; and supports our amazing leader, President Donald J. Trump, as a fellow defender of common-sense, liberty, and sanity,” Paltzik wrote in the post, notably without naming Desronvil directly.
Desronvil’s identity exploded into public view after his 11 co-jurors blamed him for the Sept. 3 mistrial in Clancy’s six-week Massachusetts trial. The controversial true-crime blogger known as “Turtleboy” exposed his name, and NBC Boston subsequently reported on domestic violence allegations that have trailed him for years.
Those allegations originated with a 2021 arrest when Desronvil allegedly choked his then-wife over their crying infant, prompting his 13-year-old nephew to frantically call police after Desronvil allegedly threw his wife into furniture. Police records showed Desronvil’s own mother shouted “You’re evil” at her son as officers hauled him to jail. Charges were dismissed when his now ex-wife declined to testify, reportedly fearing loss of child custody.
The domestic violence history deepened scrutiny of how Desronvil made it onto a jury for a case involving the killing of children in a home setting. Questions multiplied when it emerged that a restraining order against him was active during his jury service, stemming from a 2025 accusation that he battered the same nephew while shouting, “You ruined my [expletive] life,” and “You’ve had this coming your way for a long time.”
Desronvil reportedly believes political targeting explains the media firestorm engulfing him. YouTuber Ray Marcel, who posted a video to his channel “Fugitive TV” on Tuesday, recounted what he described as an hour-long off-camera interview with the juror. Marcel is acting as a representative for Desronvil, according to Paltzik.
“We started talking. [Desronvil] thinks he knows why he might be getting targeted. He’s a Republican. He is a black Republican. He has conservative views,” Marcel relayed from the interview.
“He believes he might be getting targeted because of that, because the media and the reporters, as you would see, they kind of have left views,” the true-crime host continued, alleging Desronvil “was on a juror panel with people of the Democratic party.”
Marcel further claimed that eight jurors on the 12-person panel voted to acquit Clancy on the first day of deliberations, and that Desronvil characterized those panelists as “activists.”
“He felt like they were activists is what he told me,” Marcel said.
The media siege has extended to Desronvil’s relatives. Siblings and cousins have complained of harassment by reporters and true-crime followers seeking information. His brother, who told The Post “I don’t think religion had anything to do with it” regarding the verdict stance, also noted the family had not spoken to Desronvil since the alleged 2025 nephew attack.
Desronvil’s personal finances surfaced too — NBC Boston reported he faced eviction proceedings after allegedly failing to pay approximately $12,000 in rent for multiple months.
The escalating sideshow moved Judge William Sullivan to indefinitely block public release of juror names on Monday, apparently attempting to shield Desronvil’s identity. But the juror had already departed. His local mechanic said Desronvil’s new wife stopped by recently requesting new wheels for her car, explaining “the media has been crazy and they’re gonna lay low for a while.” Paltzik confirmed his client has relocated, stating, “He is presently safe and sound at an undisclosed secure location in a rural area of Northern New England.”
Clancy, 36, admitted to killing her three children — Cora, 5, Dawson, 3, and Callan, 8 months — then attempting suicide in her Duxbury home in 2023. She maintained she suffered a severe postpartum depression episode dangerously worsened by psychiatric medications she received while seeking help. Prosecutors and witnesses twice introduced Catholic concepts of “mortal sin” regarding murder and suicide during the trial, fueling speculation that Desronvil’s reported strong Catholic faith may have influenced his refusal to accept an insanity defense. His brother disputed that connection.
Paltzik’s statement emphasized Desronvil’s immigrant roots and religious devotion, framing his jury stance as principled rather than politically or religiously motivated. The attorney’s invocation of Trump and patriotic themes appeared designed to rally conservative support around a Black Republican figure caught in a nationally polarizing case.