Karen Read’s statements made outside of court, which were also featured in popular true-crime TV shows, will be significant in her upcoming second trial for the murder of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, as revealed in recent court documents.
Read is accused of intentionally striking O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV shortly after midnight on January 29, 2022, and then abandoning him to die on the ground during a blizzard in New England.
Earlier that morning, they had a disagreement, followed by hours of drinking together. Subsequently, they were reportedly engaged in a physical altercation outside the home of another police officer hosting an after-party. Despite maintaining her innocence, Read’s initial trial resulted in a hung jury, leading to a retrial.
Hank Brennan, a prominent Massachusetts defense attorney who was brought in to take charge of the case after the first trial ended in a mistrial, had previously requested subpoenas for unpublished transcripts of interviews with Read that included her statements, including remarks left on the cutting room floor for both TV and print publications.
Both sides have agreed not to call a Boston Magazine editor to the witness stand, even though her reporting may be introduced at trial. This would exempt her from rules sequestering witnesses before they testify and allow her to continue covering the trial.
Defendant Karen Read and attorney Alan Jackson review jury questionnaires during the second day of her retrial at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., on April 2, 2025. (Greg Derr/Pool/Patriot Ledger)
She has a petition before the U.S. Supreme Court asking it to toss two of the three charges against her, arguing that while jurors never announced a verdict at the end of her first trial, they had cleared her of both second-degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident but got stuck on the third, manslaughter.
Read faces up to life in prison if convicted on the top charge she currently faces. Jury selection continued Monday, and opening statements could happen any day once the full 12 jurors and six alternates are chosen.
As of the end of the day on Monday, two spots were open.
