The murder trial of Karen Read has ended in a mistrial after the jury declared it was unable to reach a unanimous decision. This outcome came after five days of deliberations and multiple indications from the jurors that they were deeply divided. Read, charged with killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe, has consistently maintained her innocence.
Read faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Prosecutors alleged that she hit O'Keefe with her car during a snowstorm in January 2022, leaving him to die after an argument. Her defense argued that another police officer was involved in O'Keefe's death and that there was a subsequent cover-up.
Judge Beverly Cannone, overseeing the trial, initially asked the jury to continue deliberations after they first reported being deadlocked. She read them the Tuey-Rodriguez charge, encouraging jurors to re-examine their views and consider their fellow jurors' opinions. Despite this, the jury remained at an impasse, leading Judge Cannone to declare a mistrial.
"Despite our rigorous efforts, we find ourselves at an impasse," the jury's note to the court read. "The deep division is not due to lack of consideration but to a severe adherence to our personal beliefs and moral compasses. To continue to deliberate would be futile." In response, Judge Cannone stated, "Your service is complete. I am declaring a mistrial."
While #PaulOKeefe walked out of the courtroom today, he felt the need to express that he’s “not done with you yet” to #KarenRead while embracing her family. I see… Welp, now that a mistrial was declared… pic.twitter.com/uGwYoK6IsS — True Crime with Eve (@EveTrueCrime) July 1, 2024
The Norfolk District Attorney's Office quickly announced plans to retry the case. "First, we thank the O'Keefe family for their commitment and dedication to this long process," the office said in a statement. "They maintained sight of the true core of this case-to find justice for John O'Keefe."
Outside the courthouse in Dedham, Massachusetts, Read's attorneys expressed their determination to continue fighting. "This is what it looks like when you bring false charges against an innocent person," said Alan Jackson, Read's attorney. "The commonwealth did their worst. They brought the weight of the state based on spurious charges, compromised investigations, and compromised witnesses. And guess what? They failed. They failed miserably, and they'll continue to fail."
The trial has captivated local and national attention, featuring allegations of a vast police cover-up and investigative misconduct. The body of John O'Keefe was found bruised and battered in the snow outside the home of a fellow Boston police officer, raising questions about the circumstances of his death.
The jury's deadlock comes amid claims from the defense that the investigation was marred by improper conduct. Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor, a key figure in the case, admitted on the stand to sending sexist and offensive text messages about Read, referring to her as a "whack job" and mocking her medical issues. These messages, sent in a private group chat, have been widely condemned, including by Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, who called them "completely unprofessional."
The trial also saw accusations of witness tampering and a federal probe into the investigation. Defense attorney Alan Jackson argued that there was a coordinated effort to frame Read, asserting that off-duty police officers inside the Canton home fatally beat O'Keefe, dumped his body on the lawn, and fabricated evidence to implicate Read.
The prosecution maintained that Read, who had a tumultuous relationship with O'Keefe, drunkenly backed into him with her vehicle and left him to die. "The constellation of the facts and the evidence ineluctably demonstrate that the defendant drove her vehicle in reverse at 24.2 miles per hour for 62.5 feet, struck Mr. O'Keefe, causing catastrophic head injuries, leaving him incapacitated and freezing him to death," argued Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally during closing arguments.
