A Massachusetts woman is seeking to have some charges against her dismissed following a mistrial in the murder trial of her police officer boyfriend. Karen Read, a former finance professional, was dating Boston police officer John O'Keefe, whose body was found on a colleague's front lawn in Canton after a nor'easter in January 2022.
The trial ended in a mistrial when jurors deadlocked after 26 hours of deliberation. Prosecutors allege that Read ran over O'Keefe with her SUV during a drunken fight and left the scene, leading to his death from hypothermia.
Read appeared before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court to argue that two of the three charges should be dropped under double jeopardy protection, as jurors had only deadlocked on the third charge. Her attorney stated that jurors believed Read was not guilty of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident.
Read has maintained her innocence, claiming she dropped O'Keefe off at a colleague's house and later found his body in the snow. She alleges that she was framed by other members of law enforcement who she believes are the real killers. The medical examiner determined that O'Keefe died from blunt force trauma to the head and hypothermia.
The court has yet to announce a decision on Read's appeal. Prosecutors plan to retry her early next year. The case has raised questions about potential corruption and cover-up within the police force.
