Karen Read has been charged with the murder of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe. She has been accused of hitting him with her SUV while under the influence and leaving him to die in the snow. The specific charges in this case are manslaughter while under the influence, second-degree murder, and fleeing the scene of a crime. She pleaded not guilty to the charges and her trial began in April of this year. The trial lasted for over two months, but the jury could not come to a unanimous decision. The Judge has set a retrial for January 2025.
Karen Read’s Defense
John O’Keefe is a former Boston police officer. Read and O’Keefe went out with friends on January 28, 2022. Afterward, Read drove him to a fellow police officer’s home to continue the night. She claims to have driven home after dropping him off; however, he did not return home. Read became worried and woke up O’Keefe’s niece who was living with him at the time. His niece claims to have heard Read rambling that she might have hit him. Read left the house to search for O’Keefe on the morning of January 29. She ended up finding his body in the snow in front of the house where she dropped him off.
The prosecution argues that Karen Read hit O’Keefe with her SUV and left him for dead. They argued her blood alcohol level was well above the driving limit. Their theory is the couple got into a fight and she hit him in a fit of anger. Her defense argued that she was framed. They claim O’Keefe went inside the officer’s home where he was killed in a fight. They believe the people inside the house dragged him outside and left him in the snow. However, the group being used as a defense for Karen Read denies any involvement in the death of John O’Keefe.
O’Keefe’s Family Sues Read
John O’Keefe’s autopsy revealed he died of hypothermia and blunt force trauma. His family filed a lawsuit against Karen Read for wrongful death shortly after the mistrial was declared. They are claiming she intentionally hit him with her car. The lawsuit backs up the prosecution’s argument by mentioning Read’s claiming to be jealous and picking fights with O’Keefe over her jealousy.
The lawsuit also mentions two of the bars that the couple visited that night. They claim Read was served well over her limit and should have been cut off. They are seeking $50,000 in reparations for emotional distress in the death of their loved one. However, Karen Read has maintained her innocence and claims that she had no involvement in his death.
Final Thoughts
A mistrial was declared after the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the fifth day of deliberation. However, a few jurors went to the defense to explain their deliberation process. They agreed on finding Karen Read not guilty of second-degree murder and fleeing the scene. But they were not unanimous on the manslaughter charge. Their verdict was not delivered properly, according to an anonymous juror. Karen Read’s defense is now looking to have those two charges dropped. Judge Beverly Cannone has set a new trial date for January 27, 2025, and intends to retry Read for all charges.
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