Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman at the center of a national firestorm, walked free from murder charges this week in a case that’s had more twists than a pretzel factory.
In a stunning verdict, Read, 45, was acquitted of murder and leaving the scene resulting in death in the retrial over the tragic passing of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, on January 29, 2022, though she was convicted of Operating Under the Influence and handed probation, as the Daily Mail reports.
Let’s rewind to that fateful night in early 2022, when Read and O’Keefe, a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, were out drinking with friends at the Waterfall Bar and Grill in Canton, a suburb south of Boston.
Setting the stage for tragedy
After downing several drinks — by her own admission — Read dropped O’Keefe off at an afterparty in Canton, then headed back to his place, assuming all was well.
Hours later, around 4 a.m., she woke up to find he hadn’t returned, spurring a frantic search that ended with a grim discovery: O’Keefe’s body outside a home, where partygoers claimed he never even stepped foot inside.
Prosecutors painted a damning picture, alleging Read, a scorned lover, struck O’Keefe with her SUV after a heated argument and left him to perish in a brutal blizzard, later dying of blunt force trauma and hypothermia.
Defense claims conspiracy, cover-up
But wait — Read’s defense team fired back, arguing she was nothing but a convenient scapegoat for a shady police conspiracy, claiming O’Keefe was beaten, bitten by a dog, and abandoned outside as evidence was planted.
They pointed fingers at investigators, particularly disgraced State Trooper Michael Proctor, who was fired after sending vile texts about Read, calling her names and joking about her personal photos — hardly the hallmark of an impartial probe.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson didn’t mince words, stating, “Their investigation was flawed,” and arguing that bias and personal loyalties tainted the case from day one, leaving reasonable doubt all over the place.
Verdict shocks, divides observers
After a mistrial last year, when jurors couldn’t agree on whether Read intentionally caused O’Keefe’s death, the retrial jury deliberated for over 22 hours since mid-June before delivering their bombshell not guilty verdict on the major charges.
Read, a former adjunct professor, broke down in tears, embracing her lawyer Jackson as the decision was read, while outside the courthouse, a sea of supporters in pink chanted her name, declaring her freedom.
The defendant herself spoke out, saying, “No one has fought harder for justice for John O’Keefe than I have,” a bold claim that’s sure to rile up those who see her as dodging accountability — turns out, though, the jury sided with her innocence on the big counts.
Supporters, critics clash
Supporter Rita Lombardi cheered the outcome as a win for the little guy, proclaiming, “This is history,” and slamming the Commonwealth for failing its people, though one wonders if justice for O’Keefe got lost in the social media circus.
On the flip side, witnesses such as Jennifer McCabe and Brian Albert issued a scathing statement, lamenting a “miscarriage of justice” fueled by lies and conspiracy theories peddled by Read’s team and amplified by certain media corners — strong words for a case that’s split opinion down the middle.
At the end of the day, Read’s conviction for driving under the influence and probation sentence remind us that actions carry weight, even if the graver accusations didn’t stick — perhaps a small measure of consequence in a saga that’s left a family grieving and a nation debating what really happened that snowy night.
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Author: Mae Slater
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