Boston 25 News, July 2024
Prosecutors in Massachusetts say they plan to retry Karen Read for the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend. She’s accused of striking him with her SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm. The judge declared a mistrial after jurors said they couldn’t agree.
Karen Read was facing second-degree murder and two other charges for allegedly striking John O’Keefe with her SUV and then leaving the scene as she dropped him off at a fellow officer’s house after a night of drinking. Both sides will be in court on July 22 to consider the next steps. Plenty of questions remain unanswered. A federal investigation of how law enforcement handled O’Keefe’s death continues, and Read’s defense wants to question the jurors. Her lawyers said four of the 12 said the jury was united for acquitting Read of the most serious charge, so trying her again for murder would be unconstitutional double jeopardy.
