DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) — A jury found Karen Read not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges Wednesday in the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, a case that attracted legions of true crime followers who erupted in cheers when word of the acquittal spread outside court.
The same jury found her guilty of a lesser charge of drunken driving. The jury handed down its decision after deliberating for at least 22 hours since June 13.
Cheers from the crowd outside could be heard in the courtroom as the verdict was read. With cheering supporters, Read departed the courthouse with her attorneys and family.
“No one has fought harder for justice for John O’Keefe than I have,” Read said.
The verdict came nearly a year after a separate jury deadlocked over Read’s involvement in the January 2022 death of John O’Keefe and resulted in a judge declaring a mistrial.
It’s a huge victory for Read’s lawyers, who have long asserted she was framed by police after dropping O’Keefe off at a party at the home of a fellow officer. Prosecutors argued the 45-year-old Read hit O’Keefe, 46, with her SUV before driving away, but the defense maintained O’Keefe was killed inside the home and later dragged outside.
Read faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter and leaving the scene outside Boston. A second-degree murder conviction would have carried a life sentence.
Read’s father, Bill Read, told reporters outside the courthouse he felt relief and “tremendous thanks” to God when the verdict was read.
“We need to get our life back together, and we will,” he said.
Asked why he thought the second trial’s outcome was different, he said “another year of information circulating in the public, and people are aware of what’s happened.”
T.D. Floras of Nashua, New Hampshire, was standing directly next to the barrier facing the court house after the jury’s verdict was read. She held her chorkie, Lucy, in her arms, and the dog wore a sign around her neck reading “Free Karen.” Floras said she is “beyond thrilled and excited” about the outcome.
“I would do that OUI probation for her myself,” she said. “It’s been a long-time coming, so let’s put this behind her now so she can have some peace in her life.”
Several witnesses in the case said in a statement Wednesday that their “hearts are with John and the entire O’Keefe family.” The witnesses who signed the statement included Jennifer McCabe, who was with Read and O’Keefe the night of his death, and Brian Albert, who owned the home where the party took place.
“While we may have more to say in the future, today we mourn with John’s family and lament the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories spread by Karen Read, her defense team, and some in the media. The result is a devastating miscarriage of justice,” the statement said.
Much like during the first trial, attorneys spent months presenting their case, featuring hundreds of pieces of evidence and dozens of witnesses.
Read’s defense said O’Keefe was beaten, bitten by a dog, then left outside a home in the Boston suburb of Canton in a conspiracy orchestrated by the police that included planting evidence.
Prosecutors have described Read as a scorned lover who chose to leave O’Keefe dying in the snow after striking him with her SUV outside the house party.
It’s the state’s second attempt to convict Read. The first Read trial ended July 1 in a mistrial due to a hung jury.
The state’s case was led by special prosecutor Hank Brennan, who called fewer witnesses than prosecutor Adam Lally, who ran the first trial against Read.
Describing O’Keefe as a “good man” who “helped people,” Brennan told jurors during closing arguments that O’Keefe needed help that night and the only person who could provide it was Read. Instead, she drove away in her SUV.
“She was drunk. She hit him and she left him to die,” he said.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson rejected the idea that there was ever a collision at all. He and the defense called forward expert witnesses who agreed.
“There is no evidence that John was hit by a car. None. This case should be over right now, done, because there was no collision,” Jackson said during closing arguments.
