Karen Read and her case became a major headline over the past few years. The Massachusetts resident is on trial once again because her initial 2024 trial ended in a hung jury. She was accused of killing her late boyfriend, John O’Keefe, who was also a Boston police officer. As her 2025 retrial continues, get all the updates and learn more about her case below.
Who Is Karen Read?
Read is a 44-year-old Mansfield, Massachusetts, naive who worked as a financial analyst. She dated John O’Keefe before he died in January 2022.
Why Is Karen Read on Trial?
Read is on trial because she was accused of killing her boyfriend, O’Keefe, in January 2022 with her SUV after a night out drinking alcohol. She pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol and leaving the scene of personal injury and death.
The prosecution in the case has argued that Read hit O’Keefe with her vehicle while allegedly intoxicated. Read’s defense attorneys have claimed that she did not kill O’Keefe, but instead, he was killed during a fight inside a police officer’s home, and then his body was brought outside.
Furthermore, Read has claimed that she is a victim of a coverup involving members of law enforcement.
Read was on trial from April 20224 to July 2024 before it ended in a mistrial. The jury was not able to reach a unanimous verdict, and she was rescheduled to a new trial, which commenced one year later in April 2025.
Who Is John O’Keefe?
O’Keefe was a Boston police officer who was in a relationship with Read. He was found deceased in January 2022 in the snow outside the home of now-retired police officer Brian Albert.
Is Karen Read Going to Prison?
Read’s fate is still unclear since her retrial just began in April 2025. If she is convicted on the charge of motor vehicle homicide during her 2025 trial, Read faces a sentence up to life in prison, according to multiple outlets.
How to Watch the Karen Read Trial Live
Viewers can watch Read’s trial live on certain news networks, including CBS and NBC Boston.
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