Karen Read is preparing for a retrial concerning the alleged murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe. In Touch delves into the case, examining Read’s charges, the developments of the initial trial, and additional relevant information.

Who Is Karen Read and What Was Her Relationship With John O’Keefe?

Originally from Massachusetts, Read has a finance background and began her career as a faculty member at Bentley University in 2008. After college, she and O’Keefe dated briefly, but their professional paths diverged, leading them to go separate ways.

In August 2023, Read spoke with Nightline and revealed that O’Keefe contacted her in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and they reconnected.

“He had reached out to me on Facebook. He said, ‘Hey, blast from the past. How’s things?’” Read recalled.

Meanwhile, O’Keefe took on the responsibility of caring for his niece and nephew after they tragically lost both of their parents, one due to brain cancer and the other to a heart attack.

“I would call him he was like the ‘Patron Saint of Canton,’” Read told reporters. “You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone that didn’t care for John.”

What Happened to John O’Keefe?

On January 28, 2022, Read and O’Keefe went out with friends in Canton, Massachusetts. Read claimed she dropped him off at Boston Police Detective Brian Albert’s home shortly after midnight before she went back to O’Keefe’s home alone.

Read alleged that she returned to Albert’s home early the next morning because she couldn’t reach O’Keefe on his cell phone. At 6:00 a.m. on the morning of January 29, 2022, O’Keefe was discovered lying unconscious in a snowbank outside of Albert’s home.

He was later pronounced dead and authorities accused Read of striking O’Keefe with her SUV and leaving the scene. According to NPR, the medical examiner ruled “that the cause of death was blunt impact injuries to the head and hypothermia.”

What Are the Charges Against Karen Read in the John O’Keefe Case?

On February 1, 2022, Read was arrested and charged with manslaughter, leaving the scene of a motor vehicle collision causing death and motor vehicle homicide.

In June of that same year, Read was indicted on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. She pleaded not guilty on all charges.

Why Is Karen Read Facing Retrial for John O’Keefe’s Murder?

Read’s first trial began in April 2024. The jury reviewed 911 calls from the morning O’Keefe’s body was found and heard testimonies from key witnesses, including his family members and law enforcement. During the trial, Albert testified that neither Read nor O’Keefe came inside his home on the night of January 28, 2022.

The trial spanned over two months, but it ultimately ended in a hung jury.

“The divergence in our views are not rooted in a lack of understanding or effort but deeply held convictions that each of us carry, ultimately leading to a point where consensus is unattainable,” the six men and women of the jury wrote to the judge after four days of deliberation.

On July 1, 2024, it was declared a mistrial.

However, soon after the mistrial was declared, Massachusetts prosecutors believed they still had enough evidence to convict Read and announced plans for a retrial. Read’s defense attorneys have filed multiple motions seeking to dismiss the charges against her, but motions were denied by the court. Her second trial is set to start on April 1, 2025, and will proceed on all original charges, including second-degree murder.