Who is Karen Read and what is she accused of?
ON January 29, 2022, Boston police officer John O'Keefe was found dead in the snow.
His girlfriend, Karen Read was named the alleged suspect — here's everything we know about Read, the death of O'Keefe, and the crimes she's accused of.
Who is Karen Read?
Originally from Blacksburg, Virginia, Karen Read worked in the financial industry in Massachusetts before the O'Keefe case.
Additionally, she was a lecturer in the finance department at her alma mater, Bentley University.
Her parents, William and Janet Read, told Boston 25 News that she began seriously dating John O'Keefe in 2019, just before the coronavirus pandemic.
Janet Read said about the couple: "They just seemed to be in a happy place, you know."
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What is Karen Read accused of?
Read is accused of killing O'Keefe following a night at the bar, per NBC Boston.
She has been charged with second-degree murder.
Per the outlet, police claim Read ran O'Keefe over with her SUV while dropping him off at a house party in Canton, Massachusetts.
According to ABC News, prosecutors allege she then left him to die during a snowstorm, and that the couple had gotten into an argument earlier that day.
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Read and her defense team have denied the allegations against her, maintaining that she was not involved in O'Keefe's death.
In an interview with ABC News’ Matt Gutman, Read said: "I did not kill John O’Keefe. I have never harmed a hair on John O’Keefe’s head."
The outlet reported that on the night of O'Keefe's death, the couple ran into Boston police officer Brian Albert at the Waterfall Bar.
Read claims O'Keefe told her they were invited back to Albert's house.
Her defense attorneys claim that O'Keefe was beaten inside the home before his body was dumped outside, per CBS News.
She and her attorneys allege that there has been a coverup involving state and local police.
The prosecution has denied those claims, telling ABC News: "There was no conspiracy or coverup. Such claims have been systematically refuted by evidence submitted to Norfolk Superior Court."
According to CBS News, Read spoke on the courthouse steps, saying: "We know who did it. We know. And we know who spearheaded this coverup. You all know.
"I tried to save his life. I tried to save his life at 6 in the morning, I was covered in his blood. I was the only one trying to save his life."
Her attorney, Alan Jackson, added: "And no, she didn't do it. This is an innocent woman."
When did Karen Read's trial begin and was she convicted?
Read's trial commenced on April 29, 2024, at the Norfolk Superior Courthouse.
In court documents reported by the outlet, the prosecutors are scheduled to call up to 87 witnesses, while the defense plans to call up to 77.
Read's trial was pushed back after prosecutors were given over 3,000 pages of evidence from the US Attorney's Office.
During the hearing on March 12, 2024, Read's attorney, Alan Jackson, argued for the dismissal of the charges against his client, claiming that there is evidence the police investigating the case "distorted" evidence.
He named several police investigators involved in the case and said they had relationships with the witnesses that were not disclosed to grand jurors.
"That conflict was never described to the grand jury and we've been rebuffed at every single turn," he argued at the hearing.
The allegations of withholding evidence or lying about the facts have been strongly denied by prosecutors.
"The defense is trying to say, 'Look the other way,'" Prosecutor Adam Lally said in court, noting that Read's lawyers are trying to distract from the evidence against her.
"There was no conspiracy or coverup. Such claims have been systematically refuted by evidence submitted to Norfolk Superior Court," the prosecution told ABC News.
Read pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter, and leaving the scene. She faced a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted.
On Monday, July 1, a jury could not come to a unanimous decision when deciding Read's fate. After five days of deliberation, the judge declared a mistrial. The Norfolk District Attorney's office will now need to make the decision to try the case against Read again.
Who was John O’Keefe?
John O'Keefe was a Boston police officer who died on January 29, 2022.
O'Keefe's body was found in a snow pile outside of Albert's home.
However, he was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton, Massachusetts.
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His cause of death was blunt force trauma and hypothermia, according to the chief medical examiner.
Before his untimely death, O'Keefe has been a police officer for 16 years.