Karen Read’s father, Bill Read, shared insights about their family’s journey during her lengthy legal battle in a revealing podcast interview.
His 45-year-old daughter was accused of murder and other offenses following the death of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, on January 29, 2022. Prosecutors claimed she ran him over with a Lexus SUV and left him in a snowstorm. The defense countered that she did not hit him, suggesting the police investigation was flawed and another individual was responsible for his death. After a mistrial, a second jury acquitted her of all murder charges but convicted her of driving under the influence.
In a discussion with Billy Bush on his show, “Hot Mics with Billy Bush,” Bill Read expressed his belief that his daughter was the victim of a corrupt investigation from the beginning, emphasizing that she would not have fought so hard if she were guilty.
Karen Read and John O’Keefe pose for an undated photograph. (Karen Read)
The case prompted the residents of Canton, Massachusetts, to demand an independent audit into their local police department, which found no evidence of a “conspiracy to frame” Read but faulted local police for a series of mistakes, including failure to photograph the victim’s body before it was moved, failing to lock down the crime scene and conducting witness interviews outside of headquarters.
State police also launched an internal probe into the lead homicide detective, Michael Proctor, who was fired for sharing confidential information with civilians outside of law enforcement and drinking on the job. He is appealing his dismissal.
There was also a federal grand jury empaneled in the case, and one of the jurors pleaded guilty to leaking secret information earlier this week.
