Karen Read, the suspect in a murder case, appeared emotionless during a court session while the jury listened to intense messages she had sent to her police officer partner shortly before his body was discovered.
Just moments before John O’Keefe, aged 46, was found deceased, Read, aged 45, conveyed to him feeling deeply wounded following a heated argument between them.
The prosecution alleges that Read deliberately rammed her SUV into O’Keefe, her boyfriend of two years, after a night of heavy drinking, ultimately abandoning him to perish in January 2022.
After her first murder trial ended in a mistrial last year, Read is returning to court to face the same charges once again.
Pieces of the bitter text exchange were read in Read’s initial trial, but this is the first time the entire exchange has been read at once.
On Thursday, Read glared in court with a straight face as a Massachusetts state trooper relayed her back-and-forth with O’Keefe from 2:30 pm to 8:35 pm on January 28, 2022.
In the messages, the lovers quarreled about their feelings as Read expressed her fears about their hazy future and tensions over O’Keefe adopting his late sister’s two children.
“You have really hurt me this time,” Read said in a message sent just before 10 am, according to Fox affiliate WFXT.
“I’m sorry,” responded O’Keefe. “This has been an issue w me for 8 years. It physically hurts me to see EVERYONE in their life do things for them and I’m forced to ALWAYS be the bad guy.”
Read then gushed about how she’s tried to “support you and what you need” and said that O’Keefe “lashed out” and said “terrible things.”
“You made your point and continue to beat me down,” she told him.
“I have a lot going on too. Physically am falling apart and trying to get answers and help.”
A few hours passed before O’Keefe asked Read when she would be coming over later that evening.
“I don’t know what time,” Read responded.
“Feel kinda out of it. Just trying to clear my head.”
After 2 pm, Read brought up their fight again, writing, “I feel pretty s****y about how this morning went down. I know you said sorry but it really stung.
“Esp when I’ve been trying pretty hard lately. I feel like a loser turning around just coming back after everything you said.”
O’Keefe responded, “Not sure what else you want me to do. I said I’m sorry and I was outta line. If you prefer to stay home I totally get it.”
“Things in my own life have been difficult too you know,” wrote Read.
“I know,” said O’Keefe.
Read then said, “Tell me if you are interested in someone else. Can’t think of any other reason you’ve been like this,” before O’Keefe responded, “Nope.”
A timeline of Karen Read’s case
Karen Read, the Mansfield woman accused of fatally striking her cop boyfriend with her SUV in January 2022, will face a retrial on January 27, 2025.
A judge declared a mistrial on July 1, 2024, after a jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict after five days of deliberation.
- January 29, 2022: O’Keefe’s body is found outside of a friend’s home.
- February 1, 2022: Read was arrested and charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, and leaving the scene of a vehicle homicide.
- February 2, 2022: Read pleads not guilty in Stoughton District Court.
- June 9, 2022: A state grand jury indicts Read on upgraded charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene.
- April 12, 2023: Read’s attorneys publicly release court documents they say contain “bombshell exculpatory information,” including Jennifer McCabe’s Google search.
- Nov. 20, 2023: Residents of the divided community vote 903-800 to audit the Canton Police Department over the case.
- May 23, 2023: During another pre-trial hearing, the defense says that the murder of John O’Keefe is a massive cover-up involving members of law enforcement and their friends and family members.
- Feb. 22, 2024: Prosecutors unveil long-awaited results of crime scene evidence tests, alleging that O’Keefe’s DNA was recovered from the broken taillight of Read’s vehicle.
- April 12, 2024: Read’s defense attorneys say in court that Brian Albert, his son Colin Albert, and Brian Higgins could have each killed O’Keefe at the party that night.
- April 16, 2024: Read’s trial began in Massachusetts Superior Court.
- May 17, 2024: Jennifer McCabe, who was with Read when she discovered O’Keefe’s body, testifies that during their search, Read repeatedly said: “Did I hit him? Could I have hit him?” She also says Read later said when emergency workers were on the scene: “I hit him.”
- June 3, 2024: The defense accuses police of planting the shattered fragments of taillight from Read’s car at the scene of the crime.
- June 24, 2024: The defense rests their case.
- July 1, 2024: A judge declared a hung jury after five days of deliberation.
- April 22, 2025: Read’s second murder trial begins.
“Kids are here. Not in the mood to talk,” said the cop.
But Read refused to stop responding, saying, “So you’re not into it anymore. That’s fine. But I don’t want to keep trying and you keep treating me like this.
“I’m trying to hug and kiss you this morning and you whack me in the face w a pillow,” she said.
O’Keefe tried to dismiss her again, writing, “Sick of always arguing and fighting. It’s been weekly for several months now.
“So yeh I’m not as quick to jump back into being love dovie as you apparently.”
The couple continued to bicker and Read tried to call O’Keefe several times, but he refused to pick up.
“Omg!! Stop calling,” responded the police officer.
At 2:38 pm, Read said that she was going to grab a drink, and O’Keefe responded with, “Not sure why you need to announce that you’re grabbing a drink, but have fun.”
Later on in the afternoon, they eventually started to talk about what their plans would be that evening.
MYSTERY DEATH
Despite their feuding, the couple ended up at C.F. McCarthy, a bar in Canton, a suburb of Boston, where they had some drinks with friends.
The group then went to a second bar, where Read allegedly had seven drinks in 90 minutes before getting behind the wheel and driving to a house party.
Read ditched O’Keefe after dropping him off at the home. Prosecutors allege that she intentionally backed up her car and rammed into him before she drove away.
However, her defense is arguing that O’Keefe was murdered by a fellow cop at the party, but no other charges have been filed.
The jury is set to visit the crime scene on Friday.
Read faces life in prison if she’s convicted.
