A verdict has been reached in the retrial of Karen Read, accused of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe. Prosecutors claimed she killed him during a drunken hit-and-run amidst a blizzard on January 29, 2022.
The jury found Read not guilty of second-degree murder, the most serious charge, but convicted her of the lesser charge of driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of 0.08% or higher.
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan suggested a penalty of 1 year of probation and enrollment in a 24D outpatient program, which is a standard sentence for a first-time DUI offense.
The trial saw more than 30 days of testimony and four days of deliberation. Read was also found not guilty of drunken driving manslaughter and fleeing the scene of a deadly accident. Her first trial on the same charges ended without a verdict last year when jurors deadlocked.
SEE THE PHOTOS: Karen Read not guilty
Throughout the trial, Brennan played clips of Read’s televised interviews, giving jurors a chance to hear not only her version of events, but other commentary she gave journalists, including how she was spiking her own drinks at the bar before O’Keefe’s death and an encounter with O’Keefe’s mother afterward.
Karen Read listens to the cross-examination by Robert Alessi of expert accident witness Dr. Judson Welcher while seated at the defense table with her attorneys, Alan Jackson and David Yannetti, during her retrial at Norfolk Superior Court, Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger via AP, Pool)
Prosecutors allege Read hit O’Keefe and drove to his house without him. Read’s defense has argued she never hit him, blaming his injuries on a dog attack and an altercation with other men at the party.
