Retrial Begins for Accused Boston Cop-Murderer Karen Read: New Prosecutor, Same Charges

Karen Read, accused of the sensational murder of a Boston police officer, returns for a retrial following a previously deadlocked jury decision. Opening statements are scheduled for Tuesday, with a jury composed of nine men and nine women set to deliberate on the charges surrounding the January 29, 2022, death of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe.

Her first trial, which saw an extensive presentation of evidence through 74 witnesses and attracted a fervent following at the courthouse, concluded with a mistrial in July. Despite pleading her innocence against accusations of second-degree murder, manslaughter while driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident, Read will confront the same charges again. Her legal team’s attempt to dismiss the charges, arguing jury confusion and implied intentions of acquittal, was unsuccessful. Their effort to delay proceedings with the US Supreme Court, citing double jeopardy concerns, also did not bear fruit; the court is set to hear this appeal on April 25.

The retrial introduces Hank Brennan as the new prosecutor, known for his defense of infamous Boston mobster James “Whitey” Bulger. Brennan has announced plans to streamline the trial by reducing the number of witnesses. On her side, Read has fresh legal reinforcements, including Victoria George, a former alternate juror from the first trial.

Prosecutors assert that Read purposefully ran over O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV after dropping him off at a friend’s party in Canton, Massachusetts, and subsequently left him to perish in a snowstorm. The pair had been drinking that evening. Read’s defense, however, portrays her as a victim of a vast cover-up, suggesting O’Keefe’s death resulted from a brawl with fellow officers at the party.

In the initial trial, Read’s defense presented evidence implicating Boston Police Officer Brian Albert, the homeowner where O’Keefe was last seen, along with Colin Albert and ATF Agent Brian Higgins, as potential culprits. However, for this retrial, Judge Cannone has restricted presenting Colin Albert as an alternate suspect due to insufficient evidence and imposed further limits on raising allegations against Brian Albert and Higgins.

The previous trial ended inconclusively as jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. Prosecutors allege that Read backed her SUV over O’Keefe, leaving him to freeze to death. Meanwhile, Read contends she is being unjustly blamed in a cover-up orchestrated by law enforcement.