The jury deliberating the fate of Karen Read has reported an inability to reach a unanimous decision after eight weeks of testimony and four days of deliberations. Despite this, Judge Beverly Cannone has instructed them to continue their discussions, as some of their deliberation days ended early. The jury will resume deliberations on Monday.
Jurors began their deliberations on Tuesday and informed the judge on Friday that they could not come to a unanimous decision regarding whether Read was responsible for the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe. Read has consistently denied the charges.
If the jury remains deadlocked, the case would end in a mistrial, though the state could decide to retry Read for the alleged murder. She faces a second-degree murder charge, which carries a potential life sentence.
The jury’s deliberations follow eight weeks of testimony in a highly publicized trial that began in April, drawing significant media attention and interest from crime bloggers. Read, a former adjunct professor at Bentley College, was charged with second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while impaired, and leaving the scene of an accident in connection with O’Keefe’s death in January 2022. The prosecution claims that Read ran over O’Keefe after their relationship deteriorated, while the defense argues that O’Keefe was killed in a fight with others and that Read has been framed.
During closing arguments, defense attorney Alan Jackson described the case as a “cancer of lies” that turned into a cover-up, urging jurors to prevent an injustice. “You have been lied to in this courtroom. Your job is to make sure you don’t ever look the other way,” Jackson told the court. In contrast, Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally dismissed the defense’s claims of a conspiracy, emphasizing that Read had repeatedly said, “I hit him. I hit him. Oh my God. I hit him,” after O’Keefe was found on the snowy lawn.
John O’Keefe, a 46-year-old Boston police officer, was discovered in the early morning hours of January 29, 2022, outside a home in Canton, Massachusetts. An autopsy revealed he died of hypothermia and blunt force trauma. Prosecutors allege that Read dropped O’Keefe off at a house party hosted by fellow officer Brian Albert, struck him while making a three-point turn, and then drove away, leaving him to die in the snow. Witnesses testified that Read returned hours later, found O’Keefe’s snow-covered body, and was heard repeatedly shouting, “I hit him, I hit him.”
Read’s defense team contends that she was framed by someone who beat O’Keefe to death at Albert’s home and that he was bitten by the family dog. They argue that the homeowner’s relationship with local and state police tainted the investigation. “Ladies and gentlemen, there was a cover-up in this case, plain and simple,” Jackson said during closing arguments. The defense also claimed that investigators focused on Read because she was a “convenient outsider,” sparing them from considering other suspects, including Albert and other law enforcement officers at the party.
The jury of six men and six women has been deliberating behind closed doors in Norfolk County Superior Court, while a “sidewalk jury” of true crime bloggers and Read supporters gathered outside for days. Many were drawn to the case by an online blog run by Aidan Kearney, aka Turtleboy, who has relentlessly questioned the prosecution and has been accused of harassing witnesses. Kearney faces charges of witness intimidation and conspiracy, which he denies.
On Friday afternoon, after reading a note from the jury and hearing from lawyers on both sides, Judge Cannone ordered the jurors to continue deliberating. “A case that has been… it’s been a long case,” Cannone said. “This note arrived with less than three hours of deliberation… I am not prepared to say there was due and thorough deliberation.” The jury continued deliberations until 4:15 p.m. Friday before being dismissed for the weekend. Cannone advised the jury to use the weekend to clear their heads and not to think about or research the case.
Outside the courthouse, Read supporter Mike Brooks of New Hampshire expressed agreement with the judge’s decision to ask the jury to continue deliberating. Brooks believes Read deserves to be acquitted and hopes for a peaceful reaction if she is convicted. Brooks identified himself as one of about a dozen Read supporters providing security for her as she travels to and from the courtroom each day.
The case has drawn national attention, with Read’s defense claiming it was a cover-up by law enforcement and that others involved framed her for O’Keefe’s death. Prosecutors say Read and O’Keefe had been drinking at a local bar before they got into an argument, leading to the fatal incident outside Albert’s home. The defense argues that O’Keefe was fatally beaten inside the home before his body was planted on the front lawn and that Read was then framed for his death.
As jurors continue their deliberations, the outcome remains uncertain. If a mistrial is declared, the district attorney will have to decide whether to retry the case. This would not violate the constitutional prohibition on “double jeopardy” because no verdict was reached.
Source: The Associated Press, Telegram & Gazette
