Karen Read Trial
Share this @internewscast.com

DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) — In the second murder trial of Karen Read, who is accused of killing her boyfriend, a Boston police officer, the jury on Tuesday inquired about three specific points concerning the charges and evidence.

Jurors began deliberations late last week, more than a month after the trial started. The second full day of deliberations began Tuesday morning.

Prosecutors allege that Read, 45, hit John O’Keefe with her vehicle near a suburban Boston gathering and abandoned him in the snow to die in January 2022. She faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and failing to stop at the scene.

According to Read’s defense team, O’Keefe, 46, was beaten and bitten by a dog, and then left outside a home in Canton. They claim this was part of a conspiracy by the police, who allegedly framed Read by fabricating evidence.

Read’s second trial followed similar contours to the first, which ended in a mistrial last year.

Jury asks judge to clarify evidence, charges

The jury asked the questions of judge Beverly Cannone, who oversaw the first Read trial and this one. The first question related to the time frame of an operating a motor vehicle under the influence charge.

Another question was about whether video clips of interviews constituted evidence.

Read has never been jailed for O’Keefe’s killing. She did not testify at her first murder trial or this one.

Defense argues Read was framed

Defense attorney Alan Jackson began his closing argument Friday by repeating three times: “There was no collision.” He told the jury that Read is an innocent woman victimized by a police cover-up in which law enforcement officers sought to protect their own and obscure the real killer.

He repeatedly attacked the lead investigator in the case, former Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, who was fired after sharing offensive and sexist texts about Read with friends, family and co-workers. He said Proctor’s “blatant bias” tainted every aspect of the corrupt and flawed investigation and noted how prosecutors refused to put him on the stand, as they did during the first trial.

Proctor, he said, ignored leads, planted evidence and failed to consider anyone other than Read as a potential suspect.

“Michael Proctor went far beyond just insulting Karen Read. He dehumanized this woman,” he told jurors. “He betrayed her as a human being. He was fired for this blatant bias. If the Massachusetts State Police can’t trust him, how can you trust him with this investigation, with your verdict and with Karen Read’s life?”

Jackson was limited in this trial to arguing that someone other than Read killed O’Keefe. Rather than suggesting as many as three people could have killed O’Keefe as he did during the first trial, Jackson singled out Brian Higgins, a federal agent who worked in Canton and had exchanged flirtatious texts with Read. Jackson suggested Higgins was agitated at a bar after Read didn’t respond to his text and had coaxed O’Keefe over to the Canton house party where he was beaten up.

“What happened inside that house, that basement or that garage? What evidence was there for investigators to look into? What did they ignore?” Jackson asked, noting the “obvious dog bites” on O’Keefe’s arm and the head injury from his falling backward onto a hard surface.

Prosecutors argue Read chose to leave O’Keefe to die

Prosecutor Hank Brennan opened his closing argument Friday by saying Read callously decided to leave O’Keefe dying in the snow, fully aware that he was gravely injured. He argued that she made the “choice to let” O’Keefe die, going further than prosecutors in the first trial in spelling out a motive.

Karen Read Trial
Karen Read is surrounded by media while departing with her attorney Alan Jackson as the jury deliberates at her trial at Norfolk Superior Court, Monday, June 16, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Brennan said Read’s blood-alcohol level was two to three times the legal limit, after the couple downed multiple drinks at two Canton bars. The couple, whose “toxic” relationship was “crumbling,” had an argument on the way to the house party that increased tensions and ultimately led to O’Keefe’s death, the prosecutor said.

“She was drunk, she hit him, and she left him to die,” Brennan said.

Pointing to data on Read’s SUV, Brennan said it showed Read starting to drive off before reversing and accelerating. He admitted they can’t say how Read hit O’Keefe, but that she left “tons” of pieces of her taillight behind in the front yard and that O’Keefe’s DNA was found on the vehicle. Data from O’Keefe’s phone, he said, showed O’Keefe barely moved after getting out of the SUV, challenging the idea that he made it into the house party.

He also pointed to Read’s own words — shown in a video interview for a documentary — and testimony from the scene in which she told first responders that she “hit him.” He said this evidence may not correspond to the idea that there was a vast conspiracy led by the “boogeyman” Proctor and “everyone setting up the girl,” but he said these witnesses should be trusted.

As for Proctor, Brennan said the jury shouldn’t be influenced by the fact he didn’t testify. Brennan argued he wasn’t needed and that there is no evidence that he did anything to corrupt the investigation.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t be disgusted by the text messages. You should. They are not defensible,” Brennan said. “I don’t stand here and defend impropriety. I don’t. But that doesn’t change the physical evidence, the scientific evidence and the data.”

Read’s pink-clad supporters

Dozens of Read supporters, dressed mostly in pink, are camped out waiting for the verdict. They gather behind barricades and across the courthouse each morning to catch a glimpse of Read. Once she has passed, the crowd retires to beach chairs where they swap stories and details about the case.

The crowd, some of whom come waving American flags or posters supporting Read or denigrating the prosecution, say they are here because Read could have been one of them. The tight-knit group of mostly women argues the Read case woke them up to a corrupt justice system, and they hope their movement can reform it. Some of them have been out here long before the first trial started.

The once-boisterious crowd has mostly quieted down, fearful that any noise they make might hurt Read’s case. They have swapped chants and cheers for a hand sign for love that they flash to Read as she walks past. Read often smiles and acknowledges her supporters.

There are no opponents of Read outside the court or supporters of O’Keefe. At the end of the first trial, some supporters of O’Keefe came out to the court to support the family and argue for Read’s conviction.

What are the charges Read faces?

Read faces several charges, the most serious being second-degree murder. If she is convicted, she would face a maximum sentence of life in prison. She also faces manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

She is also charged with involuntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; motor vehicle homicide, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; as well as operating under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. They carry maximum sentences of 2 1/2 years and 15 years, respectively.

Whittle reported from Scarborough, Maine.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Chicago residents call Obama Presidential Center a 'monstrosity,' fear they'll be displaced: report

Chicago Locals Label Obama Presidential Center as ‘Monstrosity,’ Concerned About Potential Displacement: Report

Chicago community representatives and long-term residents express concerns that the Obama Presidential…
Court blocks Idaho police from releasing more murder victim bedroom footage and materials

Idaho Court Restricts Police from Releasing Additional Footage and Materials from Murder Victim’s Bedroom

The mother of one of the four University of Idaho murder victims…

Tragic Collision Results in Fiery Bus Crash: 76 Dead, Including 17 Children, After Accident Involving Truck and Motorbike

AT least 76 people are dead including 17 children after a horrific…
Alleged Cincinnati attackers walk free after bond cuts, police hunt eighth suspect

Cincinnati Attack Suspects Released After Bond Reductions, Authorities Search for Eighth Suspect

Two suspects linked to the widely-shared assault in downtown Cincinnati on July…
FDA warns public not to eat possibly radioactive shrimp under Great Value brand sold at Walmart in 13 states

FDA Alerts Consumers: Avoid Potentially Radioactive Shrimp from Great Value Brand at Walmart in 13 States

The FDA is warning the public about possibly radioactive shrimp that may…
Israeli soldiers in Gaza.

Israel Mobilizes 60,000 Troops for ‘Operation Gideon’s Chariots II’ to Capture Gaza City with Defense Minister’s Approval

ISRAEL has reportedly called up 60,000 troops as they look to launch…
VELYKA NOVOSILKA, DONBAS, UKRAINE - MARCH 7: Ukrainian servicemen of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army patrol around the town of Velyka Novosilka, Ukraine March 7, 2023. The frontline around the city of Vuhledar, a strategic rail and road hub south of Bakhmut, resembles an apocalyptic scenario. Destroyed buildings and burned cars are scattered at both sides of the road. There, hidden on basements of abandoned houses, the Ukrainian Volunteer Army hold their positions against relentless attacks by Russian forces. Under the threat of the enemyâs artillery, that echoes through the village, soldiers hold their fortified positions in shifts of 12h. In recent days, they said, they have been able to repel several Russian offensives. (Photo by Ignacio Marin Fernandez/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Why the Donbas Region Is Key to Putin’s Strategy: Understanding Its Strategic Importance and the Impact of a Decade of Conflict

PUTIN laid his cards on the table when he declared that he…
Chicago Police Department leaders were warned of 'problematic patterns' with 1863 tactical team's traffic stops turned searches

Chicago Police Department Leaders Alerted to Concerning Trends in Traffic Stop Searches by the 1863 Tactical Team

CHICAGO (WLS) — When Limorris Bell was pulled over by Chicago police…
Kristi Noem Paints Border Wall a Very Special Color—at the Request of President Trump

Kristi Noem Selects Unique Color for Border Wall After President Trump’s Request

Since taking on her role, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem…
Texas Democrat spends night in Legislature protesting police shadowing in redistricting battle

Texas Democrat Stages Overnight Protest Against Police Surveillance in Redistricting Dispute

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A Texas Democrat chose to remain in the…
Nina Santiago and Patrick Blackwood

Shocking Footage: Food Critics Flee as Car Crashes Into Restaurant

In one instant, a duo of food influencers were relishing salmon sliders…
Florida executes man for 1982 murder of insurance office worker abducted from office

Florida Carries Out Execution for 1982 Murder of Insurance Office Employee Abducted from Workplace

Florida on Tuesday put to death a man convicted of abducting a…