Jurors Begin Deliberations in Karen Read’s Murder Trial
Following closing arguments and judicial instructions from Judge Beverly Cannone, jurors have commenced deliberations in the murder trial of Karen Read, 45. The case has seen over 30 days of testimony, with Read accused of driving her 2021 Lexus SUV into her 46-year-old boyfriend, John O’Keefe, a Boston police officer, and leaving him to die in the snow on January 29, 2022.
The prosecution has presented forensic evidence, including O’Keefe’s phone data, which did not move from the time of the alleged crash until his body was found five and a half hours later. Special prosecutor Hank Brennan has emphasized that the prosecution’s case is built on this data, as well as Read’s own statements from televised interviews. Brennan argued that her repeated comments, including referring to O’Keefe as a ‘buffalo on the prairie,’ demonstrate her guilt.
In contrast, defense lawyer Alan Jackson has challenged the prosecution’s timeline, arguing there was no collision and the case is based on flawed evidence. He criticized the crash reconstruction as a ‘ridiculous blue paint kindergarten project,’ suggesting the Commonwealth’s case is undermined by an unscientific approach. The lead homicide detective, who was dismissed from the Massachusetts State Police, was not called to testify at the trial.
The jury has been selected with Juror No. 5 chosen as the foreperson, and alternates selected based on a random draw by the court clerk. The case is expected to conclude later in the afternoon, with Read facing potential prison sentences of 15 years to life for second-degree murder or 5 to 20 years for drunken driving manslaughter if convicted. The outcome of this trial will significantly influence the legal consequences Read faces for the alleged crime.