Karen Read Update: Was the First Trial a Mistrial & When Is Her New Trial?

Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder Reader discretion is advised.

On January 29, 2022, authorities discovered the dead body of the Boston police officer John O’Keefe outside his friend’s house in Canton. According to reports, the emergency responders claimed that they heard O’Keefe’s girlfriend, Karen Read, saying that she “hit him.” Authorities soon initiated an investigation and charged her with second-degree murder. Read pleaded not guilty to the charges and went to trial, which began in April 2024 and continued for almost two months. In July, the judge declared a mistrial after the jury confirmed they couldn’t reach a unanimous decision.

During the pre-trial hearing, Karen Read talked to the reporters and claimed she didn’t do anything. Instead, she said that she was the one who tried to save O’Keefe. Citing her statement, CBS News noted, “I tried to save his life. I tried to save his life at 6 in the morning, I was covered in his blood.” Her attorneys also alleged that someone else was behind the crime and their client was being framed. Meanwhile, the prosecution asserted that witnesses suffered harassment in the case. In April 2024, the trial finally began, and the jurors heard the 911 calls from the day authorities discovered John O’Keefe’s body.

According to another CBS News report, jurors heard the testimonies from the witnesses. Additionally, the prosecutors argued that Karen Read was responsible for O’Keefe’s death and that no one else was involved. On the other hand, the defense clarified that there was a cover-up in the case and slammed the prosecution for “laughable” evidence. After the closing arguments, the jury deliberated for several days and noted that they couldn’t reach a unanimous decision. As a result, the judge declared it a “mistrial”. Per the NBC News, Karen Read will once again go on trial in John O’Keefe’s murder case in January 2025.

Karen Read update: Why was there a mistrial & when is the new trial?

NBC Boston reported that the prosecution argument was centered around how Karen Read allegedly hit John O’Keefe with her SUV and left him to die. The autopsy report claimed that the victim suffered skull fractures, injuries on his right arm, two black eyes, and several lacerations to the face. Additionally, prosecutors noted that O’Keefe never got inside his friend’s house and that none of the people inside the house saw the victim. While presenting evidence, the prosecution team said the forensics found O’Keefe’s DNA on the broken taillight. Moreover, the investigators found remnants of the taillight outside the victim’s friend’s house.

On the other hand, the defense said that their client didn’t commit the murder. Citing their statements, the defense said that an unknown person or some people ambushed John O’Keefe. According to CBS News, the defense claimed that O’Keefe’s friends—Brian Albert and Brian Higgins—killed him. Meanwhile, the defense also alleged that the authorities failed to investigate the crime well and had good relations with Albert and his family, reported NBC News.

Karen Read’s lawyers also questioned Albert’s sister-in-law, Jennifer McCabe. McCabe, who was also present inside the house that night, initially told the jurors that she heard Read saying, “Did I hit him?” However, she changed her statement during the trial and noted that Read said, “I hit him.” 

Meanwhile, the defense also claimed that McCabe searched how long it takes for someone to die of hypothermia on Google. According to NBC News, she searched this query several hours before John O’Keefe’s death. The defense also called the investigation “biased” because of the lead investigator, Michael Proctor.

According to the defense team, Proctor used inappropriate language for Read in text messages. While taking the stand, Proctor admitted to his mistake and called his comments “regrettable.” After hearing several testimonies and arguments, the jury deliberated but faced difficulty reaching a verdict. Eventually, they told the judge that they couldn’t reach a verdict, which led to the judge declaring the trial a mistrial.

NBC News reported that Karen Read will again take the stand in the new trial in January 2025. The new trial will start from January 27, 2025.

Netflix recently announced that the streaming platform will come forward with a documentary series regarding the case. As of now, there is no release date for the documentary series.