Topline: The jury found flaws in the investigation and doubted whether Read ever struck her boyfriend with her car.
Published: June 19, 2025 7:00 am ET
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DEDHAM, MA — After more than three years of legal drama, public protests, and swirling allegations of conspiracy, a Massachusetts jury on Wednesday found Karen Read not guilty of murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
Read, 45, was acquitted of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, WBTS reported.
She was found guilty only of driving under the influence, for which Judge Beverly Cannone sentenced her to one year of probation.
The case, which unfolded over months in Norfolk Superior Court, turned on two drastically different versions of what happened in the early hours of January 29, 2022, outside a Canton, Massachusetts home.
The Prosecution’s Story
According to prosecutors, Read—intoxicated after a night out—dropped O’Keefe off at the Fairview Road home of fellow Boston officer Brian Albert and fatally struck him with her Lexus SUV. They argued that she then left the scene, leaving O’Keefe in the snow, where he died of blunt force injuries and hypothermia. They cited surveillance footage, text messages showing a troubled relationship, and testimony that Read was “hysterical” and repeatedly exclaimed, “I hit him. I hit him.”
They also pointed to a crack in her taillight and a highly scrutinized Google search—“hos (sic) long to die in cold”—that prosecutors said was made shortly after the body was discovered.
The Defense: A Framing and a Coverup
Read’s defense told an entirely different story: that she was being framed by members of law enforcement and friends of O’Keefe who were present that night. They claimed O’Keefe never exited the SUV but instead was assaulted inside Albert’s home and later placed outside to cover up the crime.
Defense attorneys pointed to injuries they claimed were more consistent with an attack—possibly involving a dog bite—than a vehicle strike. They alleged that investigators including State Police Trooper Michael Proctor intentionally misled the grand jury. Proctor, the case’s lead investigator, was eventually fired by Massachusetts State Police amid misconduct allegations.
A Mistrial, Public Outrage, and a Retrial
Read’s first trial ended in July 2024 in a mistrial, with jurors “starkly divided.” In the aftermath, internal investigations rocked local law enforcement. Canton officer Kevin Albert, Brian’s brother, was briefly suspended. Proctor was relieved of duty, then suspended, and later terminated.
Public interest in the case soared. Supporters of Read rallied outside the courthouse, and Read herself accused authorities of orchestrating a coverup.
“We know who did it,” she told reporters, according to WBZ-TV. “I tried to save his life.”
The retrial began in April 2025, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene. The proceedings were just as dramatic, with testimony from over 70 witnesses, including medical experts, crash reconstructionists, and family members. The defense eventually abandoned a third-party blame strategy, instead focusing on what they called a deeply flawed police investigation.
After four days of deliberations, jurors delivered their decision on Wednesday, June 18: no murder, no manslaughter, no leaving the scene—just OUI.
While the courtroom gasped, Read stood quietly as her legal team embraced. Outside, supporters cheered.
For the O’Keefe family, though, the ruling offered little peace. “We will continue to seek justice for him,” they said in a statement to WBZ-TV.
The case is over, at least for now—but the questions it raised about trust in law enforcement, the conduct of prosecutors, and the role of public pressure may echo far beyond the courtroom.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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What Led to a Jury Acquitting Karen Read of Murder?
The jury found flaws in the investigation and doubted whether Read ever struck her boyfriend with her car.
By Jacob Charles
Published: June 19, 2025 7:00 am ET
DEDHAM, MA — After more than three years of legal drama, public protests, and swirling allegations of conspiracy, a Massachusetts jury on Wednesday found Karen Read not guilty of murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
Read, 45, was acquitted of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, WBTS reported.
She was found guilty only of driving under the influence, for which Judge Beverly Cannone sentenced her to one year of probation.
The case, which unfolded over months in Norfolk Superior Court, turned on two drastically different versions of what happened in the early hours of January 29, 2022, outside a Canton, Massachusetts home.
The Prosecution’s Story
According to prosecutors, Read—intoxicated after a night out—dropped O’Keefe off at the Fairview Road home of fellow Boston officer Brian Albert and fatally struck him with her Lexus SUV. They argued that she then left the scene, leaving O’Keefe in the snow, where he died of blunt force injuries and hypothermia. They cited surveillance footage, text messages showing a troubled relationship, and testimony that Read was “hysterical” and repeatedly exclaimed, “I hit him. I hit him.”
They also pointed to a crack in her taillight and a highly scrutinized Google search—“hos (sic) long to die in cold”—that prosecutors said was made shortly after the body was discovered.
The Defense: A Framing and a Coverup
Read’s defense told an entirely different story: that she was being framed by members of law enforcement and friends of O’Keefe who were present that night. They claimed O’Keefe never exited the SUV but instead was assaulted inside Albert’s home and later placed outside to cover up the crime.
Defense attorneys pointed to injuries they claimed were more consistent with an attack—possibly involving a dog bite—than a vehicle strike. They alleged that investigators including State Police Trooper Michael Proctor intentionally misled the grand jury. Proctor, the case’s lead investigator, was eventually fired by Massachusetts State Police amid misconduct allegations.
A Mistrial, Public Outrage, and a Retrial
Read’s first trial ended in July 2024 in a mistrial, with jurors “starkly divided.” In the aftermath, internal investigations rocked local law enforcement. Canton officer Kevin Albert, Brian’s brother, was briefly suspended. Proctor was relieved of duty, then suspended, and later terminated.
Public interest in the case soared. Supporters of Read rallied outside the courthouse, and Read herself accused authorities of orchestrating a coverup.
“We know who did it,” she told reporters, according to WBZ-TV. “I tried to save his life.”
The retrial began in April 2025, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene. The proceedings were just as dramatic, with testimony from over 70 witnesses, including medical experts, crash reconstructionists, and family members. The defense eventually abandoned a third-party blame strategy, instead focusing on what they called a deeply flawed police investigation.
After four days of deliberations, jurors delivered their decision on Wednesday, June 18: no murder, no manslaughter, no leaving the scene—just OUI.
While the courtroom gasped, Read stood quietly as her legal team embraced. Outside, supporters cheered.
For the O’Keefe family, though, the ruling offered little peace. “We will continue to seek justice for him,” they said in a statement to WBZ-TV.
The case is over, at least for now—but the questions it raised about trust in law enforcement, the conduct of prosecutors, and the role of public pressure may echo far beyond the courtroom.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
Must Read
Editor Picks
Latest Articles
What Led to a Jury Acquitting Karen Read of Murder?
The jury found flaws in the investigation and doubted whether Read ever struck her boyfriend with her car.
By Jacob Charles
Published: June 19, 2025 7:00 am ET
DEDHAM, MA — After more than three years of legal drama, public protests, and swirling allegations of conspiracy, a Massachusetts jury on Wednesday found Karen Read not guilty of murder in the death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
Read, 45, was acquitted of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death, WBTS reported.
She was found guilty only of driving under the influence, for which Judge Beverly Cannone sentenced her to one year of probation.
The case, which unfolded over months in Norfolk Superior Court, turned on two drastically different versions of what happened in the early hours of January 29, 2022, outside a Canton, Massachusetts home.
The Prosecution’s Story
According to prosecutors, Read—intoxicated after a night out—dropped O’Keefe off at the Fairview Road home of fellow Boston officer Brian Albert and fatally struck him with her Lexus SUV. They argued that she then left the scene, leaving O’Keefe in the snow, where he died of blunt force injuries and hypothermia. They cited surveillance footage, text messages showing a troubled relationship, and testimony that Read was “hysterical” and repeatedly exclaimed, “I hit him. I hit him.”
They also pointed to a crack in her taillight and a highly scrutinized Google search—“hos (sic) long to die in cold”—that prosecutors said was made shortly after the body was discovered.
The Defense: A Framing and a Coverup
Read’s defense told an entirely different story: that she was being framed by members of law enforcement and friends of O’Keefe who were present that night. They claimed O’Keefe never exited the SUV but instead was assaulted inside Albert’s home and later placed outside to cover up the crime.
Defense attorneys pointed to injuries they claimed were more consistent with an attack—possibly involving a dog bite—than a vehicle strike. They alleged that investigators including State Police Trooper Michael Proctor intentionally misled the grand jury. Proctor, the case’s lead investigator, was eventually fired by Massachusetts State Police amid misconduct allegations.
A Mistrial, Public Outrage, and a Retrial
Read’s first trial ended in July 2024 in a mistrial, with jurors “starkly divided.” In the aftermath, internal investigations rocked local law enforcement. Canton officer Kevin Albert, Brian’s brother, was briefly suspended. Proctor was relieved of duty, then suspended, and later terminated.
Public interest in the case soared. Supporters of Read rallied outside the courthouse, and Read herself accused authorities of orchestrating a coverup.
“We know who did it,” she told reporters, according to WBZ-TV. “I tried to save his life.”
The retrial began in April 2025, after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene. The proceedings were just as dramatic, with testimony from over 70 witnesses, including medical experts, crash reconstructionists, and family members. The defense eventually abandoned a third-party blame strategy, instead focusing on what they called a deeply flawed police investigation.
After four days of deliberations, jurors delivered their decision on Wednesday, June 18: no murder, no manslaughter, no leaving the scene—just OUI.
While the courtroom gasped, Read stood quietly as her legal team embraced. Outside, supporters cheered.
For the O’Keefe family, though, the ruling offered little peace. “We will continue to seek justice for him,” they said in a statement to WBZ-TV.
The case is over, at least for now—but the questions it raised about trust in law enforcement, the conduct of prosecutors, and the role of public pressure may echo far beyond the courtroom.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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