Karen Read Acquitted in Officer's Death; Defense Alleges Police Misconduct and Pushes to Block Retrial

July 8, 2024
Karen Read Acquitted in Officer's Death; Defense Alleges Police Misconduct and Pushes to Block Retrial
  • Financial analyst Karen Read was acquitted of murder and hit-and-run charges related to the death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe.

  • The trial ended in a mistrial due to a deadlock on the manslaughter charge, with jurors reportedly leaning towards acquitting her of the more serious charges.

  • Read's defense team is now pushing to prevent a retrial on murder charges, citing double jeopardy protections.

  • The defense argues that the prosecution failed to prove its case and that Read did not intentionally hit Officer O'Keefe.

  • Doubts were raised by the defense about O'Keefe's cause of death, suggesting he may have been beaten by fellow officers and left to die of hypothermia.

  • The trial was marred by scandal, including inappropriate texts from the lead investigator and a close relationship between Read's defense lawyer and the investigator.

  • The lead investigator has been relieved of duty, and an internal affairs investigation into potential misconduct within the Massachusetts State Police is underway.

  • The Norfolk County District Attorney's Office plans to retry Read, with a status hearing scheduled for July 22.

Summary based on 9 sources


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