5 things you need to know about the Karen Read case as her retrial looms
- The case centers on the 2022 death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe, who was found in a snowbank outside a fellow officer's home. Karen Read, his girlfriend, is accused of hitting him with her SUV and leaving the scene.
- The first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2024 after the jury was deadlocked for over 20 hours, unable to reach a unanimous verdict on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of an accident.
- A second trial is scheduled to begin in April 2025, with Judge Beverly Cannone ordering jury selection to start on April 1 in Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
- Key evidence includes testimony about a 'tail light' fragment found at the scene, Google search data from Read's phone (including searches for 'hos long to die in cold'), and conflicting testimony from witnesses about a snowbank.
- Prosecutors allege a motive of domestic strife, while Read's defense claims she is being framed in a cover-up involving law enforcement and the homeowner, Brian Albert, who hosted a party the night O'Keefe died.