DEDHAM, Mass. – A jury found Karen Read not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges Wednesday in the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, a case that attracted legions of true crime followers who erupted in cheers when word of the acquittal spread outside court.
The same jury also found her guilty of a lesser charge of drunken driving after deliberating for at least 22 hours since June 13.
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Cheers from the crowd outside could be heard in the courtroom as the verdict was read. With gleeful supporters, Read departed the courthouse with her attorneys and family.
It was a huge victory for Read’s lawyers, who have long asserted that she was framed by police after dropping John O’Keefe off at a party at the home of a fellow officer. Prosecutors argued that the 45-year-old Read hit O’Keefe, 46, with her SUV before driving away, but the defense maintained that he was killed inside the home and later dragged outside.
“No one has fought harder for justice for John O’Keefe than I have,” Read said.
Members of O'Keefe's family left the courtroom with bowed heads. Prosecutors did not speak to reporters outside.
The verdict came nearly a year after a separate jury deadlocked over Read’s involvement in the January 2022 death of John O’Keefe and resulted in a mistrial.
Read faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene outside Boston. A second-degree murder conviction would have carried a life sentence. She will face a year of probation for the drunken driving conviction.
Read’s father, Bill Read, told The Associated Press he was “thankful that it’s over.”
“I’m pleased, obviously, with the outcome,” he said. “We always knew Karen was innocent. I’m glad she is free of this mess. Just a weight off our shoulders. The power of the state is immense, and we were able to fight it”
Some witnesses see miscarriage of justice
Several witnesses in the case said in a statement Wednesday that their “hearts are with John and the entire O’Keefe family.” Those who signed the statement included Jennifer McCabe, who was with Read and O’Keefe the night of his death, and Brian Albert, who owned the home where the party took place.
“While we may have more to say in the future, today we mourn with John’s family and lament the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories spread by Karen Read, her defense team, and some in the media. The result is a devastating miscarriage of justice,” the statement said.
Jubilation among Read's supporters
Outside the court, Read supporters celebrated in an atmosphere similar to sports fans reveling in a team's championship, complete with pink confetti.
T.D. Floras of Nashua, New Hampshire, stood next to the barrier facing the courthouse holding Lucy, her chorkie, a cross between a Chihuahua and a Yorkie. The dog wore a sign around its neck that read “Free Karen.” Floras said she was “beyond thrilled and excited” about the outcome.
“I would do that OUI probation for her myself,” she said. “It’s been a long time coming, so let’s put this behind her now so she can have some peace in her life.”
The trial
Much like during the first trial, attorneys spent months presenting their case, featuring hundreds of pieces of evidence and dozens of witnesses.
Read’s defense said O’Keefe was beaten, bitten by a dog and left outside a home in the Boston suburb of Canton, in a conspiracy orchestrated by police that included planting evidence.
Prosecutors have described Read as a scorned lover who chose to leave O’Keefe dying in the snow after striking him with her SUV.
Shira Diner, a lecturer at the Boston University Law School, said the verdict “gives us an opportunity to reflect how this case would have been different if Karen Read was not a white woman of privilege and means.”
“The criminal legal system is full of inequities, and the fact the defendant in this case was able to post bail and wasn’t held in custody while the case was pending made a huge difference,” Diner said. “She was able to work directly with her lawyers in a way that people can’t from behind bars. She was able to give interviews and craft a public narrative that a person without means would be unable to do. All of that work helped contribute to the verdict, and that is a privilege that most people charged with second-degree murder do not have.”
Daniel Medwed, a law professor at Northeastern University, said it was a mercy or compromise verdict, in which jurors opt for acquittal on the most serious charges but convict on lesser offense when they have doubts about the case but want to hold the person accountable.
“Here the evidence — including the defendant’s own admissions — made it clear that she drove while intoxicated, and therefore OUI was a natural place for the jury to land,” Medwed said.
Blogger and Read champion ‘overcome with emotion’
A blogger who has championed Read’s innocence and has been charged with witness intimidation in connection with her case, told AP he was “overcome with emotion” after the verdict.
“Two and a half years of this. It’s finally over. Karen Read’s free,” Aidan Kearney said. “Everything I did was worth it, and we finally have justice. We finally put this nightmare behind us.”
The state’s case was led by special prosecutor Hank Brennan, who called fewer witnesses than prosecutor Adam Lally, who ran the first trial against Read.
Describing O’Keefe as a “good man” who “helped people,” Brennan told jurors during closing arguments that O’Keefe needed help that night and the only person who could provide it was Read.
“She was drunk. She hit him and she left him to die,” he said.
The defense rejected the idea that there was ever a collision at all and called expert witnesses who agreed.
“There is no evidence that John was hit by a car. None. This case should be over right now, done, because there was no collision,” attorney Alan Jackson said during closing.
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Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine, and Ramer from Concord, New Hampshire.