Karen Read retrial verdict: Why jury found Read ‘Not Guilty’ of John O’Keefe's death
On Wednesday, Karen Read, 45, was acquitted of the most serious charges in her retrial for the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe
Karen Read, 45, was acquitted of the most serious charges in her retrial for the January 29, 2022, death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, closing a gripping legal drama that drew widespread attention. The Norfolk County jury, after approximately 22 hours of deliberation beginning June 13, cleared Read of responsibility for O’Keefe’s death on Wednesday.
Prosecutors alleged that O'Keefe's death occurred when Read struck him with her Lexus SUV and left him to die in a snowstorm outside a house party at 34 Fairview Road in Canton, Massachusetts.
Read faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence (OUI), and leaving the scene of an accident with injury or death. A second-degree murder conviction could have carried a life sentence. Her defense team, led by attorney Alan Jackson, argued that O’Keefe, 46, was beaten inside the home, bitten by a German shepherd, and dragged outside in a police-orchestrated conspiracy to frame Read.
Jackson emphasized during closing arguments that no evidence supported a vehicle collision, stating, “This case should be over right now, done, because there was no collision.” Expert witnesses, including accident reconstruction specialists, supported the defense’s claim that O’Keefe’s injuries were inconsistent with being hit by a car.
The prosecution, led by special prosecutor Hank Brennan, portrayed Read as a scorned, intoxicated girlfriend who struck O’Keefe and fled. Brennan, who called fewer witnesses than Adam Lally in the first trial, described O’Keefe as a “good man” who needed help that night, asserting, “She was drunk. She hit him and left him to die.” The state’s case relied on evidence like taillight fragments allegedly from Read’s SUV and Read’s statements to first responders, but the defense countered with claims of planted evidence and a cover-up involving party attendees, including homeowner Brian Albert.
This was the Commonwealth’s second attempt to convict Read. The first trial, prosecuted by Lally, ended in a mistrial on July 9, 2024, due to a hung jury, with jurors reportedly confused by the verdict slip. The retrial, which began in April 2025, featured months of testimony, hundreds of exhibits, and dozens of witnesses. The acquittal marks a significant victory for Read’s defense, which consistently alleged a police conspiracy.
