The high-profile case of Karen Read, a woman accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend, has ended in a mistrial after the jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
The case, which garnered significant media attention and divided public opinion, has left many questions unanswered and set the stage for a potential retrial.
On a snowy night in January 2022, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe was found dead outside the home of another police officer, Brian Albert, in Canton, Massachusetts.
An autopsy revealed that O’Keefe had died from hypothermia and blunt force trauma, leading prosecutors to charge his girlfriend, Karen Read, with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
Prosecutors alleged that Read, a former adjunct professor at Bentley College, and O’Keefe had been drinking heavily before she dropped him off at the party at Albert’s home. They claimed that Read then struck O’Keefe with her SUV before driving away, leaving him in the freezing conditions.
The defense, however, sought to portray Read as the victim, arguing that O’Keefe was actually killed inside Albert’s home and then dragged outside and left for dead. They contended that investigators focused on Read because she was a “convenient outsider” who saved them from having to consider other suspects, including Albert and other law enforcement officers who were present at the party.
The trial was marked by controversial evidence and testimony.
Police acknowledged using questionable methods, such as collecting blood evidence in red plastic cups and using a leaf blower to clear away snow.
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The lead investigator, State Trooper Michael Proctor, also came under scrutiny for making offensive remarks about Read in personal text messages during the investigation.
Experts also disagreed on whether O’Keefe’s injuries were consistent with being hit by Read’s SUV, which had a broken taillight. The defense argued that the injuries were more likely caused by an altercation and the aggressive behavior of the Albert family’s dog.
After days of deliberations and multiple notes from the deadlocked jury, Judge Beverly Cannone ultimately declared a mistrial. The jury had indicated that they were deeply divided by “fundamental differences in our opinions and state of mind” and that “consensus is unattainable.”
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