ONE dead police officer, two furious camps of supporters, and a flood of sickening, bitter online hate that’s threatening to destroy lives.

This weekend, the quiet town of Canton, located 20 miles south of Boston in Massachusetts, will be on edge as the dramatic Karen Read murder trial reaches a crucial phase.

DRAMATIC ENDING

Following Friday’s closing arguments, Read is defending herself against second-degree murder charges related to the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, on January 29, 2022.

The jury were sent for deliberation after eight weeks in Norfolk Superior Court and will return on Monday with a decision expected imminently.

She also faced charges for driving drunk when the fatal incident occurred, along with fleeing the scene after allegedly causing O’Keefe’s death.

He was found dead in the snow outside a private party at the house of Brian Albert, a retired Boston cop and lifelong Canton resident.

What began as a tragic incident has spiraled into one of the most polarizing legal battles in recent state history.

The trial has been a fierce battleground streamed live from the courthouse, with two opposing groups of onlookers, each fervently believing they know the true path to justice.

The U.S. Sun spoke last month with Read supporter Rita Lombardi, who described how the town has been “torn apart,” with relatives and friends turning on her over her defense of the accused woman.

She even said her lawn had been vandalized with bleach filled balloons which were allegedly thrown onto her property.

Theories of police misconduct have circulated widely, with critics pointing fingers at investigators for alleged interference and a lack of transparency.

Read’s defense team alleges that O’Keefe, who was the legal guardian of his niece and nephew after their parents died, actually entered Albert’s house, only to be beaten, possibly bitten by a dog, then hauled out into the snow.

FURIOUS COUNTER-CLAIM

But O’Keefe’s loved ones argue that Read acted out of malice after a night of heavy drinking, insisting she is solely responsible for the 46-year-old’s death by reversing into him.

Read, who chose not to testify in either trial, has since become outspoken in the media.

She’s spoken to reporters outside court, appeared on TV, sat down for a Vanity Fair interview, and participated in a true-crime docuseries — all while maintaining her innocence.

But in court, prosecutors played a pivotal moment from her October 2024 Dateline interview, where Read appeared to waver. “I didn’t think I hit him,” she said in the clip. “But could I have clipped him… knocked him out… and in drunkenness and in the cold, he didn’t come to again?”

“She was drunk, she hit him and left him to die” said prosecutor Hank Brennan, who is best known for defending James “Whitey” Bulger, the notorious mob boss, in his closing statement Friday, where he described their two year relationship as “toxic.”

“It was crumbling. The discontent was palpable.”

The late officer also has a vocal group of backers on X, many of whom remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation — but are convinced of Read’s guilt.

The U.S. Sun spoke to two O’Keefe supporters who requested anonymity due to ongoing harassment.

They claim some Read advocates have contacted their employers and launched smear campaigns that spilled into their professional and personal lives.

“We get death threats,” said one supporter. “People stalk and dox us. They post old photos and dig through every account you’ve ever had. The harassment is unreal.”

The unnamed woman said the online chaos reminds her of the Delphi murders, where amateur sleuths posted graphic crime scene images of two slain Indiana teens.

The twisted man behind one of America’s most haunting child murder cases was unmasked not in court—but online, as chilling footage of his confession exploded across social media.

Richard Allen, the Indiana pharmacy worker who butchered two schoolgirls on a wooded trail, is now serving 130 years behind bars—but it’s the internet, not the justice system, that truly blew this case wide open.

The 2024 trial ended with Allen handed the maximum sentence for murdering 13-year-old Abigail “Abby” Williams and 14-year-old Liberty “Libby” German, who vanished while hiking in Delphi back in 2017.

But it wasn’t until after the courtroom drama wrapped that the most disturbing evidence began surfacing online — uncensored, unfiltered, and horrifying.

Clips from Libby’s phone — captured just moments before her death—and video of Allen breaking down and confessing during a police interrogation have been shared across X, TikTok, and YouTube in recent months.

Viewers were stunned to see the killer’s face twitch and crumble as he admitted to the murders, confirming years of whispers and theories that had dominated true crime forums and Reddit threads.

The footage, originally shown in court, was leaked or obtained through media pressure — and once it hit the web, it spread like wildfire.

“No matter what the verdict is, someone died.That’s the real tragedy here.

John O’Keefe supporter

While there is no smoking gun confession in this case, critics say social media has done more to expose the truth than the authorities ever did, while the victims’ families wrestle with grief all over again as the killer’s confession plays out on loop for millions.

WILD THEORIES

In Canton, accusations have flown around about YouTubers profiting off false narratives. One blogger, known as Turtleboy, has been indicted on 16 counts including witness intimidation.

The woman we spoke to estimates “500 to 1,000 people” are involved in targeted harassment.

“It’s terrible. The same thing happened in Delphi. People are attacking witnesses and families. Defense teams have worked directly with TikTokers and YouTubers to push propaganda,” she said.

“We’re tired of seeing victims’ families get dragged. A group of us is working to name and call out the people spreading lies for clicks.”

She also noted that while some O’Keefe supporters have been physically stalked, they’ve avoided retaliation—focusing instead on courtroom updates.

“To me, it’s obvious. You’d have to suspend all logic to think this wasn’t a domestic violence drunk hit-and-run,” she said. “It’s shocking how badly we treat male victims. He was trapped in a coercive relationship.”

The public attention has overwhelmed Canton. Last year’s street demonstrations during the first trial, she said, were “humiliating.”

“It’s an embarrassing circus,” she added.

Another O’Keefe supporter from Massachusetts said he’s been forced to speak anonymously behind a parody account.

He told the U.S. Sun the case has “divided the community” and made it nearly impossible to talk about openly.

He also pointed to recent anti-police sentiment in cities like Los Angeles as a factor in the case.

“People are quick to believe police are hiding something,” said the man, who posts under @cccuomo870. “Whether that’s true or not, the fact that so many think it is shows how far trust has eroded.”

A timeline of Karen Read’s case

Karen Read, the Mansfield woman accused of fatally striking her cop boyfriend with her SUV in January 2022, began her second trial in April 2025.

A judge declared a mistrial on July 1, 2024, after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict after five days of deliberation.

• January 29, 2022: O’Keefe’s body is found outside of a friend’s home.
• February 1, 2022: Read was arrested and charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, and leaving the scene of a vehicle homicide.
• February 2, 2022: Read pleads not guilty in Stoughton District Court.
• June 9, 2022: A state grand jury indicts Read on upgraded charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene.
• April 12, 2023: Read’s attorneys publicly release court documents they say contain “bombshell exculpatory information,” including Jennifer McCabe’s Google search.
• Nov. 20, 2023: Residents of the divided community vote 903-800 to audit the Canton Police Department over the case.
• May 23, 2023: During another pre-trial hearing, the defense says that the murder of John O’Keefe is a massive cover-up involving members of law enforcement and their friends and family members.
• Feb. 22, 2024: Prosecutors unveil long-awaited results of crime scene evidence tests, alleging that O’Keefe’s DNA was recovered from the broken taillight of Read’s vehicle.
• April 12, 2024: Read’s defense attorneys say in court that Brian Albert, his son Colin Albert, and Brian Higgins could have each killed O’Keefe at the party that night.
• April 16, 2024: Read’s trial began in Massachusetts Superior Court.
• May 17, 2024: Jennifer McCabe, who was with Read when she discovered O’Keefe’s body, testifies that during their search, Read repeatedly said: “Did I hit him? Could I have hit him?” She also says Read later said when emergency workers were on the scene: “I hit him.”
• June 3, 2024: The defense accuses police of planting the shattered fragments of taillight from Read’s car at the scene of the crime.   
• June 24, 2024: The defense rests their case.
• July 1, 2024: A judge declared a hung jury after five days of deliberation.
• April 22, 2025: Read’s second murder trial begins.

The backlash, he said, has been intense.

“I’ve been threatened, accused of bias—everything. It’s not easy, but I try to stay focused on facts and tune out the noise.

“People are so wrapped up in their version of the truth they’ll go to extreme lengths to defend it. It’s unsettling.”

Friends in Canton feel caught in a mess where emotion has blurred the truth.

But one thing, he believes, is clear:

“No matter what the verdict is, someone died,” he said. “That’s the real tragedy here.”