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Were Karen Read’s unorthodox media interviews a next-level strategic move from her defense?
Maybe, according to one Massachusetts legal expert following the case.
Read, 45, is accused of killing boyfriend John O’Keefe, 46, in a drunken hit-and-run Jan. 29, 2022, outside a party in Canton, Massachusetts.
Following her initial trial, which concluded with a jury unable to reach a verdict last year, she engaged with several journalists to share her perspective, a decision that numerous legal specialists have deemed unwise. Nevertheless, this approach might work in her favor since the jury seems to be concentrating on a lesser charge she might have confessed to during the recorded interviews.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan subpoenaed the unedited source material from reporters and played a handful of clips in court in front of the jury.
In one instance relevant to jurors’ inquiries, Read mentioned adding alcohol to her own drinks prior to O’Keefe’s death because she felt the bartender’s servings were too weak.
“The drinks served to me at McCarthy’s, where I consumed the majority of alcohol, were the mildest vodka tonic,” she explained. “They tasted mostly like soda water with a touch of lime—not that I needed a strong martini, but there might have been a slight hint of vodka.”
Officer John O’Keefe (Boston Police Department)
Jurors asked the judge four questions Tuesday, many of them focused on the OUI charge.
- “What is the timeframe for the OUI charge? 12:45 or 5 a.m.?”
- “Are video clips of Karen’s interviews evidence?”
- “Does convicting guilty on a subcharge, for example offense 2 No. 5, convict the overall charge?”
- “If we find not guilty on two charges but can’t agree on one charge, is it a hung jury on all three charges or just one charge?”
Jurors failed to reach a verdict by the end of the day Tuesday. Deliberations resume Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. ET.
“I still think it’s good for her right now,” Rice told Fox News Digital. “Reading between the lines, I think they can’t find the intent needed for two counts and are trying to figure out the reckless component.”
Read faces up to life in prison if convicted on the most serious charge of second-degree murder. Some of the OUI-related charges also carry multi-year penalties, Edwards said.
