Karen Read's lengthy legal battle has finally drawn to a close. Following her acquittal of second-degree murder charges stemming from the tragic death of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in 2022, the 45-year-old stood before a crowd gathered outside a Massachusetts courthouse on June 18 to express her heartfelt gratitude. "Let me convey just two thoughts," she emotionally addressed the gathered supporters. "I wouldn't be here today without the unwavering support of these incredible individuals who have stood by me and my team throughout this journey."
Read further emphasized, "Secondly, I want everyone to know that I have fought tirelessly for justice for John O'Keefe, more so than anyone else."
Read faced accusations of driving under the influence and striking O’Keefe, a 46-year-old Boston policeman, with her vehicle on January 29, 2022, subsequently abandoning him in blizzard conditions outside a house party. Though she was also cleared of charges including vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of an accident in the June 18 verdict, she was convicted of the lesser offense of operating a vehicle under the influence, for which she was sentenced to a year of probation.
Her initial trial for O’Keefe’s murder in 2024 ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury after 25 hours of deliberation. The second trial commenced in April, where Read’s legal team alleged a conspiracy to frame her, aiming to divert attention from a fight that reportedly occurred inside the residence of Brian Albert, a prominent law enforcement officer and O’Keefe’s colleague, before he was allegedly dragged outside.
"There was no collision," defense attorney Alan Jackson reiterated three times in his closing statement on June 13, according to NBC Boston, pointing out that lead investigator Michael Proctor never entered the house upon arriving at the scene. "Their investigation was flawed from the outset because their investigator was compromised from the beginning." He further accused the prosecution, stating, "They cannot prove a collision. John O’Keefe was not hit by a car."
