Karen Read found not guilty of murder in retrial over policeman boyfriend’s death
The same US jury found her guilty of drunken driving, in a case that has attracted legions of true crime followers
A jury found Karen Read not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges on Wednesday in the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, a case that attracted legions of true crime followers who erupted in cheers when word of the acquittal spread outside court.
The same jury found her guilty of a lesser charge of drunken driving. The jury handed down its decision after deliberating for at least 22 hours since June 13.
Cheers from the crowd outside could be heard in the courtroom as the verdict was read. With cheering supporters, Read departed the courthouse with her lawyers and family.
“No one has fought harder for justice for John O’Keefe than I have,” Read said.
The verdict came nearly a year after a separate jury was deadlocked over Read’s involvement in the January 2022 death of John O’Keefe and resulted in a judge declaring a mistrial.
It is a huge victory for Read’s lawyers, who have long asserted she was framed by police after dropping O’Keefe off at a party at the home of a fellow officer. Prosecutors argued the 45-year-old Read hit O’Keefe, 46, with her SUV before driving away, but the defence maintained O’Keefe was killed inside the home and later dragged outside.