A mistrial was declared Monday in the murder trial of Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her police officer boyfriend, after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
The sensational The months-long trial was filled with media storms, conspiracy theories, accusations of jury harassment and protests. Read, 44, was charged with the murder of 46-year-old Boston police officer John O’Keefe in January 2022. Police and prosecutors accused her of running over O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV outside retired police officer Brian’s home. Albert in Canton, where they were invited to a party, and left to die in a snow bank. O’Keefe suffered severe head injuries and hypothermia and was pronounced dead on the morning of January 29, and Read was arrested three days later.
The trial began on April 29 at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. Judge Beverly Cannone heard arguments from the prosecution and defense throughout May and June, although Read did not testify. The jurors officially began deliberations at 1:30 pm on June 25th.
The judge told jurors on Friday to continue deliberating after the jury was deadlocked. But after deliberating again for about 90 minutes Monday morning, jurors said they were still unable to reach a unanimous verdict. The jury president said in a note to Cannone on Monday that the jury was “deeply divided.” Cannone told them to continue deliberations one last time before declaring a mistrial.
“Despite our commitment to the duty entrusted to us, we find ourselves deeply divided by fundamental differences in our opinions and state of mind,” said the foreman in the note. “The divergence in our opinions is not rooted in a lack of understanding or effort, but rather in deeply held beliefs that each of us carries, ultimately leading to a point where consensus is unattainable. We recognize the weight of this admission and the implications it has.”
Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey he said he plans to try the case again. A new hearing is scheduled for July 22 to determine next steps.
The prosecution’s case featured key witnesses including Jennifer McCabe, O’Keefe’s friend for about 10 years, who told the court that Read allegedly asked her to investigate how long it would take for someone to die in the cold. Some of the emergency workers at the scene the morning of O’Keefe’s death testified that they heard Read repeatedly say, “I hit him” when first responder Katie McLaughlin asked if there was any trauma O’Keefe had suffered. according to Boston Globe. McCabe, however, testified that Read asked “Did I hit him?” – a panicked question in the shock of the moment, not a confession.
see more information: What to know about the Karen Read trial
Read denied killing her boyfriend, pleading not guilty to the charges against her.
His defense lawyers brought only a few witnesses over two days in late June. They maintain that O’Keefe’s death was not what the prosecution made it out to be. According to the defense, O’Keefe got into an argument with people inside Albert’s home and his beaten body was later dumped outside. They used testimony from a retired forensic pathologist who testified Monday that some of O’Keefe’s injuries were inconsistent with the Lexus SUV crash. They also pointed out injuries to O’Keefe’s arms, claiming they were caused by a dog attack.
The defense also attempted to accuse investigators of framing Read by presenting derogatory text messages sent by the case’s lead investigator, Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, in which he stated that he hoped Read would take his own life and called her “ crazy.” Proctor called the text messages “regrettable.”
In closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally told jurors there was no conspiracy, asking the jury to follow the evidence presented before them, repeating words shared by witnesses and pointing to Read’s broken taillight found at the scene.
Public fascination and obsession with the case grew, and Read’s supporters maintained protests during the trial. Internet blogger Aidan Kearney, known online as Turtle Boy, intensified scrutiny of the case, after publicly questioning the integrity of the investigation and filming himself confronting witnesses in public. In October 2023, Kearney was arrested and charged with witness intimidation.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
