CANTON, MASS. — Jury deliberations began Friday in the high-profile retrial of Karen Read, the Boston-area woman accused of killing her police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, by hitting him with her SUV outside a house party in 2022.
Read, 45, is charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident causing death. Her first trial ended in a mistrial in July 2023 after jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict.
Jurors began deliberations after closing arguments wrapped Friday afternoon, and they were dismissed for the weekend after a few hours. Deliberations will resume Monday morning. 
The Prosecution’s Argument
Prosecutor Hank Brennan told the jury that Read had a heated argument with O’Keefe before allegedly backing over him in reverse with her Lexus SUV after dropping him off at the Canton, Massachusetts, party. He said Read, intoxicated, then left O’Keefe to die in the snow.
“She didn’t call 911, she didn’t knock on any door,” Brennan said. “She drove away. She hit him. She left him.”
The prosecution played clips from Read’s past media interviews, including one in which she speculated she may have “clipped him” with her car.
The Defense’s Counter
Defense attorney Alan Jackson countered that Read is being framed and that investigators ignored key evidence. The defense argued that O’Keefe was beaten inside the house and dumped outside.
“They never searched the house,” Jackson emphasized. “Not the next day, not once, not ever.” He called the investigation “broken and corrupt top to bottom.”
The defense also criticized State Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator, who was later fired for sending inappropriate, mocking texts about Read and her appearance. Proctor was not called to testify at the trial.
Background
Officer John O’Keefe, 46, was found unresponsive on a snowy lawn early on Jan. 29, 2022, with head trauma and hypothermia. Read claimed she found him while retracing her steps after realizing he never came home. He was pronounced dead later that morning.
If convicted, Read could face life in prison for second-degree murder, up to 20 years for manslaughter, and 10 years for leaving the scene.
The first trial’s jury deliberated for five days before declaring an impasse. This retrial, which began in April, largely reused the same evidence, including testimony about taillight debris and O’Keefe’s injuries, which the defense again suggested may have come from dog bites, not a vehicle.
With the case drawing nationwide attention, all eyes now turn to the jury’s decision when they reconvene next week.
