Boston, MA — A high-profile legal saga unfolds anew as Karen Read, accused of murdering her boyfriend, a Boston police officer, in January 2022, is set to face her second trial after the first ended in a mistrial last July. The case, which has captured significant public and media attention, centers on the death of John O’Keefe, whose lifeless body was discovered in the snow outside a colleague’s suburban home.
Read, 44, previously an adjunct professor at Bentley University and an equity analyst at Fidelity Investments, has been charged with second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and leaving the scene of a collision resulting in death. She vehemently maintains her innocence, claiming she was framed by police.
The prosecution alleges that after a night of drinking, Read dropped O’Keefe off at a house party, struck him with her car during a three-point turn, and then fled the scene. Some time later, she returned, only to find him in the snowbank where he was eventually found. O’Keefe, 46 at his time of death, had served 16 years with the Boston Police Department. An autopsy revealed that he died from blunt force trauma to the head, compounded by hypothermia.
During the lengthy first trial, tensions and suspicions were high, with claims of rocky relationships and assertions from Read’s defense that she was unfairly targeted. The defense highlighted potential oversights and biases in the investigation, pointing out connections between the investigators and other police officers present at the party the night of O’Keefe’s death.
As Read prepares for another round in court with jury selection commencing this Tuesday, her defense is barred from calling a law enforcement expert to critique the investigation, a decision made by Norfolk County Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone. Cannone has also issued a ban on protesters from areas surrounding the courthouse, to minimize potential juror bias.
The upcoming trial will garner particular attention given the size of the jury pool, potentially reaching up to 2,000 individuals, from which approximately 20 will be selected. Allegations have also surfaced about improper conduct among law enforcement officers involved in the case, adding layers of complexity and intrigue.
Separate from but related to the ongoing trial, Aidan Kearny, a local personality known as “Turtleboy,” has been charged with intimidating witnesses linked to the case. Kearny, adamant about Read’s innocence, has become a vocal critic of the prosecution’s approach, which he discusses extensively through his platform, “TB Daily News.”
In a twist that adds a pop culture element to the trial, Read authorized a mini-series titled “A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read,” which claims to document the case details and has reached a wide audience.
As the new trial date approaches, the case continues to elicit strong reactions from the public, echoed by Read’s resolve to clear her name. “My life is in the balance, and it shouldn’t be,” she expressed in a recent interview. As developments continue, the community and nation watch closely, awaiting answers in a case that has become about more than just the tragic death of an officer but a broader commentary on justice and law enforcement integrity.
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