Michael Desronvil, the sole holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy trial has spoken in his first interview since a mistrial was declared.

Desronvil spoke of “tense deliberations” in the jury room, and about how his strong Christian faith helped prepare him for those discussions.

He also said he never had any reasonable doubt that Clancy was guilty of first-degree murder, adding there was “a lot of evidence to back up my claim”, although he refused to share it during an interview Thursday on Fox News.

“I made my decision, as far as with the case, based strictly on the evidence that was presented to me, and then the hearing, and paying attention, observing throughout the whole trial,” he said.

“There were moments that were tense, as we were deliberating.”

The jury of nine women and three men ultimately voted 11-1 to acquit Clancy after seven days of deliberations. The Massachusetts mother admitted strangling her three children, Cora, five; Dawson, three; and eight-month-old Callan, to death in January 2023, but pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

Judge William Sullivan of Plymouth county superior court declared a mistrial on 4 September, and prosecutors have not yet announced if they will seek to try Clancy again.

As the lone holdout, Desronvil became the subject of intense scrutiny after the trial, once his identity became known. Kevin Reddington, Clancy’s lead defense attorney, said he “stole seven weeks of the life of these other jurors”, and that his client was “robbed by this man”.

Earlier this month Sullivan rejected Reddington’s motion to override the deadlocked jury’s vote and declare Clancy not guilty.

Desronvil’s interview on Thursday, during which he read a Bible passage and maintained that “constantly praying” had guided him through 38 hours of jury deliberations, was his first since the trial. He previously released a statement in which he said he never had any doubt about Clancy’s guilt, and said he “kept getting cut off” as he tried to explain different possible theories as the jury mulled its verdict.

Fox host Kayleigh McEnany asked Desronvil if he felt “listened to” during the deliberations.

“No,” he replied. “I definitely listened, but some moments in that deliberation room felt like that decisions were being swayed towards one way.”

He said he was struck by “how methodical Lindsay was in the execution of the children, that was really big for me”, and that he was affected by the 911 call that Clancy’s husband Patrick made after he discovered their bodies in the couple’s home in Duxbury.

The call was played to jurors but has not been publicly released.

“It was surreal. You know, hearing the pain in his voice, hearing the desperation from that clip, it was surreal,” Desronvil said.

He rejected claims made by Reddington after the trial, which included that Desronvil was biased against people with mental illness, and that he made a false statement under oath by providing untruthful answers in his jury questionnaire.

“I answered the questionnaire truthfully,” he said.

NBC 10 Boston reported that Desronvil juror was charged in 2021 with allegedly assaulting his then wife. The charge was later dismissed.

“There was no physical abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse.”

Desronvil, who has a new partner and a young daughter, said he has been harassed at home by the media, and had surveillance footage of reporters rifling through his mail, and looking through his windows.

He said police had to escort his fiancee home one night. “Of course I’ve been scared,” he said but added he had not received any threats of physical harm.

He said he was not on social media, did not follow the news, and had “no idea” the Clancy case was as big as it was.

The interview concluded with Desronvil accompanying McEnany to a memorial playground in Duxbury dedicated to the victims.

“The focus has to be on the children,” he said. “People need to stand up for what’s right.”