Justice for Karen Read - Price Prediction

Karen Read says she is not guilty of the murder of John O’Keefe.

Given that she chose to have a documentary team record the trial, similar to “The Staircase”, as she faced murder charges last year over the January 2022 death of O’Keefe – a 16-year Boston Police veteran whom prosecutors claim she struck with her car while drunk and left in freezing blizzard conditions.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m excited to share my thoughts on the captivating five-part docuseries, “A Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read,” which made its debut on Investigation Discovery on March 17th. However, unlike many courtroom dramas, this series didn’t provide a clear resolution, even though the final episode was titled “The Verdict.”

On July 1st, 2024, the jury announced they were unable to reach a unanimous decision, leading the judge to declare a mistrial. The tense courtroom atmosphere and the uncertainty of justice served as a reminder that not all stories have neatly tied endings. This gripping tale continues to captivate audiences, leaving us eagerly waiting for future developments.

According to series director Terry Dunn Meurer, they firmly believed that an acquittal was expected in this case while making the show, which is why they chose to leave Read’s fate uncertain. If the outcome had been different, the film would have taken a different direction. Everyone was shocked when it ended up as a hung jury instead.

Initially, the defense claimed in preliminary hearings that O’Keefe suffered severe beatings at a residence in Canton, Mass., owned by a Boston Police detective. They suggested that his body was then discarded outside the property, implying that our client was unfortunately a victim of a police conspiracy to conceal the truth about what truly transpired.

In an interview with Vanity Fair last August, Read expressed that besides a sense of being unjustly persecuted and prosecuted, he felt deeply violated.

In a video statement released on August 2023, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey firmly dismissed the defense’s claims, stating, “Conspiracy theories are not proof. It’s implausible to suggest that numerous law enforcement agencies, EMTs, firefighters, the medical examiner, and our office were all involved in, or fooled by, a vast conspiracy. This notion should be recognized as being entirely at odds with the facts and an unfounded effort to shift blame.

Read’s retrial is scheduled to begin April 1.

Meurer emphasized that they were striving for complete impartiality and objectivity when speaking with Vanity Fair. Given the timing of the series release prior to the upcoming trial, he felt this balance was crucial to avoid any potential influence on the court’s decision.

In essence, the director pointed out that it might prove challenging to locate an unbiased jury given the widespread publicity surrounding the case, whether through news reports or documentaries. However, their role is to pledge that they can remain impartial regardless of any prior exposure to the information.

The individual, who has been a free woman since posting her $50,000 bail following her February 1, 2022, arrest, has declared that she will not be tuning in to watch the series.

“I lived it,” she told VF in a statement. “I don’t need to see it editorialized for marketability.”

A 45-year-old individual, previously employed as an equity analyst at Fidelity Investments before O’Keefe’s demise, has denied charges of second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and fleeing the scene after causing injury or death.

Ahead of Read’s return to court, here is everything to know about the ongoing saga:

Karen Read disclosed to the authorities that on January 28, 2022, herself and her boyfriend John O’Keefe, a Boston Police Officer, spent the evening drinking with friends at C.F. McCarthy’s bar in Canton, Massachusetts. Following this, they spent approximately an hour at Waterfall Bar & Grille located across the street. According to Read, she dropped off O’Keefe at the Canton residence of Boston Police Detective Brian Albert around midnight, and subsequently returned to O’Keefe’s house.

At the manslaughter hearing held on February 2, 2022, it was asserted by the prosecution that there was proof suggesting Read struck O’Keefe with her vehicle, then drove away, leaving him in the cold weather.

A financial analyst residing in Mansfield stated that, upon O’Keefe not returning home and being unreachable by phone, she visited Albert’s house the next morning. She mentioned that she contacted a few individuals who were with her when they discovered him unconscious in the snow outside Albert’s residence at 6 a.m.

A 46-year-old police officer was found with deep wounds on his right arm, both eyes severely swollen, and his attire soiled with blood and vomit, as stated by the prosecution. He was subsequently taken to Boston’s Good Samaritan Hospital, where he tragically passed away later that morning.

Following an autopsy, it was determined that O’Keefe had sustained several skull fractures, in addition to wounds on the back of his head and nose. Ultimately, the medical examiner concluded that his demise was caused by hypothermia and traumatic injuries from blunt force.

On February 1, 2022, he was taken into custody and indicted for manslaughter, failing to stop after a fatal car accident, and vehicular homicide.

Investigators found her 2021 black Lexus SUV, which was damaged with a broken taillight and scratched bumper, parked at her parents’ residence, as prosecutors stated.

Read pleaded not guilty Feb. 2 and was released from custody after posting $50,000 bail.

During the court hearing, attorney David Yannetti stated that the manslaughter accusation against his client was an overreach and emphasized that no criminal intent was involved on her part. He clarified to NBC Boston that this individual wasn’t just some casual acquaintance but rather her boyfriend, someone she deeply cared for.

The Boston Police Department stated that the individual behind John’s demise has been apprehended, while expressing O’Keefe as a considerate person deeply committed to his family.

At the court hearing, prosecutors stated that one of O’Keefe’s friends who searched for him with Read informed the police that their mutual friend had called her at 5 in the morning, expressing concern saying, “John is dead. I wonder if he’s dead. It’s snowing heavily, he might have been hit by a snowplow.

Firefighter Lieutenant Anthony Flematti later recounted in court that at the scene, Read allegedly said to him, “I struck him, I struck him. Oh my goodness, I struck him.

Firefighter Katie McLaughlin stated that Read appeared extremely upset, looking clearly distressed, and on multiple occasions, she heard him express, “I struck him.

At the trial, it was established that what she shouted at Flematti was, “Did I strike him? Was it possible that I struck him?” or alternatively, “Did I harm him? Was there a chance I could have harmed him?

Firefighter Matthew Kelly recounted that he distinctly recalled Read stating, “He’s deceased, he’s beyond help.” (Informal language removed)

A grand jury indicted Read on a charge of second-degree murder on June 9, 2022.

On June 10th during Read’s court hearing, Norfolk County Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally claimed that there had been ongoing disputes between Read and O’Keefe for a while prior to his death. He also mentioned that weeks before the incident in question, O’Keefe attempted to end the relationship with Read but she refused to vacate his home when asked. Furthermore, Lally asserted that on the fateful night, under the influence of alcohol, Read reversed her Lexus into O’Keefe and then left him to perish in the snow.

Read posted an additional $100,000 bail and later pleaded not guilty to murder.

At the hearing held on June 10, Yannetti argued that Officer Read attempted to resuscitate O’Keefe using CPR. Furthermore, he claimed that the injuries sustained by the officer were not in line with those typically caused by getting hit by a car.

In the courtroom, Yannetti stated, “There are mysterious scratches on his entire arm, and he has two black eyes as well, which seem to indicate a broken nose. It’s apparent that there’s more to this situation than meets the eye.

On September 22, 2022, during a court appearance, Yannetti asserted that O’Keefe had suffered a severe beating at Albert’s residence. Furthermore, it was alleged that the detective exploited his influence within the Canton Police Department and Massachusetts State Police to conceal the truth by falsely implicating his client.

Yannetti pointed out that Brian Albert’s sibling, Kevin Albert, was likewise a detective with the Canton Police Department. Moreover, Michael Proctor, who oversaw the Read investigation as a Massachusetts State Trooper and is known to be a close family friend, was highlighted. (It’s been reported by a family representative that Brian retired from the force due to an injury in 2023. Denying any physical confrontation with O’Keefe at his residence, Brian, as well as Kevin and Proctor, have refuted any allegations of misconduct concerning the investigation.)

Defense lawyer Alan Jackson stated unequivocally on NBC’s Dateline in July 2023 that his client is absolutely innocent.

In my professional opinion, I stepped into an unfavorable situation when I entered that residence. Upon exiting my vehicle, I was unexpectedly struck and knocked to the ground, sustaining injuries. Subsequently, it appears that my body was subsequently moved from its initial position.

In a previous case, Jackson (formerly of Los Angeles prosecution) and co-counsel Elizabeth Little (both from Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP), had represented Kevin Spacey in a 2016 sexual assault allegation on Nantucket. However, the accusations against the actor were eventually dismissed.

On August 25, 2023, during a long video statement, Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey stated that there was no evidence of a fight taking place at the Albert residence on the night O’Keefe passed away. He explained that eleven individuals provided statements claiming they did not witness the officer entering the house, and according to him, none reported seeing someone go inside. Additionally, data retrieved from O’Keefe’s phone, which was discovered near his body, suggested that the device had not entered the home.

The prosecutor declared that it was “absurd” to accuse any of the witnesses of committing murder. Furthermore, he stated that Proctor had neither the chance to plant evidence nor any reason to do so. (It has been claimed that she damaged her taillight while pulling out of her garage to search for O’Keefe, but it was allegedly broken only after her vehicle was in police custody.) The attorney emphasized that Proctor did not have a “close personal relationship” with anyone involved in the investigation, and any suggestion to the contrary is false.

In a court hearing held in January 2024, Prosecutor Lally objected to a defense motion seeking access to the communication records between Trooper Proctor’s wife and Jennifer McCabe, one of the individuals present when O’Keefe’s body was discovered. To explain the relationship, Lally stated during the hearing that Trooper Proctor has a sister, who has a friend, who is married to a man who has a brother, whose wife is Jennifer McCabe.

On April 12, 2023, defense attorneys Yannetti and Jackson declared that recently retrieved cell phone data from McCabe’s device offered proof that “completely cleared Karen,” as it demonstrated that various individuals were conscious of John being in a state of peril in the snow prior to Karen even realizing he was missing.

At approximately 2:30 a.m., as stated by the defense’s court filing on April 12, according to NBC Boston, McCabe searched online about “How long does it take to die from cold.

Initially, prosecutors expressed uncertainty about whether the defense’s interpretation of the raw data was accurate. They emphasized that they had frequently requested the defense to present any evidence that could potentially clear them of the charges.

During Read’s murder trial, McCabe testified that after they discovered O’Keefe, the defendant inquired about how long it takes to perish in the cold. She stated that at 2:27 a.m., she had been researching something else, and subsequently used the same browser tab to perform this subsequent search. She clarified that she did not erase any search history or phone numbers from her call log. In her own words, “I would never have abandoned John O’Keefe in the cold to die, as he was a friend I held dear.

In court, the prosecution invited their computer analysis specialist to testify, supporting their claim that the time of McCabe’s search was 6:23 in the morning.

In a court document submitted in January 2025, prosecutors aimed to prevent the defense’s data expert from testifying during the retrial again. They argued that his previous opinions had been disproven or refuted. However, this motion was rejected, allowing the expert to continue testifying.

On February 22nd, 2024, prosecutors submitted a document outlining the findings from the crime scene investigation. This memorandum revealed that O’Keefe’s DNA was found on Read’s damaged taillight and a tiny strand of his hair was stuck to the rear passenger door of her Lexus.

In their court filing, as reported by NBC Boston, prosecutors stated that investigations involving trace analysis and forensic tests revealed tiny fragments of DNA from the victim on a shattered taillight and minute pieces of red and clear plastic found in the victim’s clothing. Further examination showed that these small pieces of red and clear plastic matched the broken parts from the accused’s rear taillight.

During the court proceedings, the defense argued that the DNA evidence found at the scene might have been planted, supporting their broader claim that the defendant, Read, had been falsely accused. However, they also suggested alternative possibilities for how the DNA could have ended up on the vehicle without directly colliding with O’Keefe.

Yannetti stated outside the court on June 14th, as reported by CBS Boston, that “It was found in the vehicle, to clarify.” He went on to ask, “You see, the mystery is how did that hair, which supposedly has magical properties, survive a 30-mile journey during a blizzard?

Prosecutors and law enforcement denied all accusations of planting or mishandling evidence.

Judge Beverly Cannone of Norfolk Superior Court delayed the commencement of Read’s trial from March 12 to April 16, 2024. This decision was made following the disclosure of approximately 3,000 pages of documents related to the case by federal investigators, who were examining the conduct of the O’Keefe inquiry due to defense allegations of a cover-up.

On February 26th in court, the defense contended that the released documents contained evidence exonerating their client. However, the prosecution responded by stating that most of the findings aligned with previous testimonies. During a motions hearing on March 4, 2025, Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan mentioned that the federal investigation concluded without any charges being brought against law enforcement.

At a hearing on March 13, 2024, the defense put forward a request for the case to be dismissed by presenting an argument. They claimed that the prosecution had misled the grand jury that indicted Read, as the grand jury was unaware of any personal connections between the investigators and witnesses involved in the case.

Most of the individuals who appeared before the grand jury were summoned not because they claimed to have witnessed events involving O’Keefe, as suggested later in court documents by NBC Boston. Instead, the filing explained, these witnesses were called to testify about ‘distant and unimportant aspects of their past behavior,’ which could potentially bias the panel against Read. The defense further argued that this testimony was intended to mislead the grand jury, complicate the issues, and waste time.

During the hearing, Assistant District Attorney Lally countered by stating that the defense was engaging in a game similar to “three-card monte,” implying a distraction tactic. In essence, she claimed they were saying “Look at this connection, look at that connection.” She further argued that the defense is intentionally confusing the jury with their tactics, trying to divert attention away from the substantial evidence against them. Instead, they want the jury to focus on trivial matters such as who sent messages to whom.

Cannone denied the defense’s motion March 26, paving the way for the trial to begin as scheduled.

On April 29, 2024, Yannetti asserted in his opening remarks that O’Keefe sustained fatal wounds due to a brutal attack, and the suspect was wrongly accused.

As a dedicated follower, I’d like to share an intriguing piece of information: The famed law enforcement family, the Alberts, resided at that particular address in Canton. Yannetti mentioned this fact, emphasizing the significance since the Alberts were entwined in the case and had close ties with the investigators. This connection, it seems, led to Karen Read being falsely accused of a murder she did not perpetrate.

In the heat of my unwavering fandom, I can’t help but share an alternate take on events: The defense claimed that I, in a moment of heartbreak and overindulgence, lost control behind the wheel. They say I rammed into O’Keefe’s vehicle, then fled, leaving him to face his fate alone.

The case ended with a hung jury and Cannone declared a mistrial on July 1.

In July 2024, defense lawyers petitioned TopMob News to reconsider the murder trial of Read. They based their argument on double jeopardy, stating that three jurors from the initial trial had explicitly communicated to them (the defense) that they all believed she was innocent of murder and failing to stay at the scene after a potential injury or death. Consequently, the judge might have requested a partial verdict in this case.

In February 2025, the Massachusetts Supreme Court determined that disclosures about jurors’ secret discussions which contradicted their statements made during the trial would neither overturn a mistrial decision nor result in an acquittal.

Despite feeling extremely invaded, she refused to retreat at this point. In an interview with Vanity Fair last August, she, who didn’t testify during her trial, expressed this sentiment.

Rather face imprisonment for a crime I didn’t commit, I stand firm. I won’t succumb to a plea deal; I refuse to let them savor their victory over me.

In the pandemic-stricken spring of 2020, she swiftly developed feelings for O’Keefe following their reconnection on Facebook. This was sixteen years after their brief relationship. However, issues arose, as Read explained. During a New Year’s vacation to Aruba with other couples, she claimed she observed him kissing another woman. (This was denied by the woman during Read’s trial.) Furthermore, Read admitted to exchanging flirtatious messages with a federal agent known to O’Keefe, which she used to validate her emotions at that time.

However, Read mentioned that as of January 2022, he had taken on the role of caring for his orphaned niece and nephew due to the passing of his sister. He preferred to maintain the bond between them rather than separate their relationship. (In January 2022, Read became the guardian of his late sister’s children, according to family members, and he wished to preserve their existing dynamic.)

On January 29, 2022, when she and O’Keefe visited the Alberts’ home following an invitation for additional drinks, O’Keefe expressed a desire to assess the interior ambiance before deciding whether to stay or leave, according to Read’s account to Vanity Fair. When he failed to respond to her texts, Read became frustrated, assuming he was involved with an old flame residing nearby. “I didn’t believe he was actually incapacitated,” she stated. After a brief wait of approximately 10 minutes, Read left and sent more messages and voicemails expressing her anger.

Read pondered whether she might have struck O’Keefe with her vehicle, as she admitted to Vanity Fair, and remembered saying to her parents that she would “atone” if she had committed any wrongdoing.

In their conversation with the magazine, O’Keefe’s family expressed their belief that her actions may have led to his demise.

The family involved in a lawsuit against Karen Read, who is accused of murder and wrongful death, stated that unlike many others in similar situations, Read has excessively capitalized on her fame. They added that her extensive media campaign to sway potential jurors not only intensifies their already tragic loss but also postpones and denies her accountability.

Massachusetts State Trooper Proctor acknowledged on the witness stand during Read’s initial trial that he had employed disrespectful language towards Read and made derogatory comments in text messages to friends, relatives, and colleagues. In some instances, the judge had him read these remarks aloud in court. Regarding a message asking if the homeowner of the house where O’Keefe was found would also receive trouble, he responded, “No, the homeowner is a Boston cop as well.

On the witness stand, Proctor expressed remorse, acknowledging that his feelings had overtaken him when he said something unprofessional. However, he clarified that despite the regretful nature of his words, they held no bearing on the way he carried out the investigation.

According to a report from TopMob News, it was revealed that he was dismissed just days before the scheduled start of Read’s retrial, as per a state police personnel order dated March 19, 2025.

As a dedicated follower, I found myself in a situation where I was suspended last July. To clear up any confusion, let me emphasize that this suspension wasn’t due to any “salacious allegations of cover-ups, collusion, or conspiracies” as suggested by the defense. Instead, it was a result of the choice of words in my personal texts that led to disciplinary action from the State Police Association President.

Regarding the dismissal of Proctor, NBC News received a statement from his family stating that the trial board’s ruling was “unprecedented” and “unfairly singles out one of their own,” a trooper with an exceptional 12-year history. The contents of Proctor’s text messages suggest he is not morally questionable, inefficient, or unsuitable for the position of a homicide detective, let alone unworthy to remain a Massachusetts State Trooper.

The five-part documentary series titled “Body in the Snow: The Trial of Karen Read” concluded on March 17, leaving Karen Read’s situation unresolved as the trial resulted in a mistrial.

The director, Terry Dunn Meurer, explained that they had to meticulously strive for a perfect balance in their work, as they were aware another trial was upcoming. This means they wanted to ensure they were as unbiased and fair as possible before proceeding further.

Meurer stated, ‘This case is highly controversial, so it’s crucial to value everyone’s perspective.’ Whether you support ‘Free Karen Read’ or lean towards the prosecution, that’s okay. However, it’s distressing to observe the hostile exchanges, insults, and personal attacks. The case has been debated extensively on social media, which I find regrettable. It undermines the justice system and does an injustice to Karen.’

Read pushed back against any notion that she was making the most of her newfound celebrity status.

As a lifestyle expert, I would rephrase it as follows: “In my situation, being falsely accused, one might expect me to make a loud public proclamation. However, let me assure you, no one has worked tirelessly or fought harder than I have to uncover the truth about John’s incident and share that knowledge more extensively.

2025-03-29 15:18

Read More