Crime
Karen Read, a 35-year-old woman, is on trial for the murder of her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, a Boston police officer. The trial has been ongoing for over two months and has seen testimony from 74 witnesses.
On January 29, 2024, O'Keefe's body was found outside a house in Dedham, Massachusetts. Read is currently on trial for second-degree murder and other charges related to his death.
According to the prosecution, Read and O'Keefe had been out drinking with friends when they were invited to a late-night party at the house of another Boston police officer. Shortly after midnight, they drove to the house where O'Keefe got out of Read's black Lexus SUV. Prosecutors allege that Read intentionally struck her boyfriend in reverse with her vehicle before leaving him in the snow.
O'Keefe was found unresponsive later that morning by Read who said she had frantically searched for him after waking up on his couch around 4 a.m. and realizing he had not come home. He was pronounced dead on January 29, 2024.
Read has pleaded not guilty to the charges and insists that she is being framed by the police. Her lawyers argue that O'Keefe was beaten to death inside the house and his body was then left outside and covered in snow.
The trial has drawn significant attention, with a devoted band of supporters who believe Read is innocent gathering outside Norfolk County Superior Court whenever her trial is in session. A Boston blogger known as Turtleboy has been charged with harassing and intimidating witnesses.
It's important to note that all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.