Karen Read acquitted of murder charge in John O'Keefe's death
- Karen Read was acquitted of murder charges in the death of John O'Keefe, with the jury citing insufficient evidence.
- Prosecutors presented evidence linking Read to the crime, but significant police missteps raised doubts in the case.
- O'Keefe's family expressed their outrage over the verdict, feeling they did not receive justice.
In a significant legal outcome, Karen Read was acquitted of all homicide-related charges in the death of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe during her retrial. The incident occurred on January 29, 2022, when O'Keefe was found unresponsive outside a house party amid a snowstorm. Read, who had been drinking heavily that night, was accused of driving her SUV into O'Keefe and leaving him to die on the cold ground. Prosecutors presented various pieces of evidence, including taillight fragments that allegedly linked Read's vehicle to the scene. However, crucial missteps by the investigating police, including the firing of the lead investigator for inappropriate behavior, led to doubts about the reliability of the evidence. Consequently, the jury declared Read not guilty, stating the prosecution failed to prove she committed the crime. O'Keefe's family expressed outrage over the verdict, feeling that justice was not served. Read received a sentence of probation for a lesser charge of drunken driving, but the family insists that a guilty verdict would have brought them peace, reflecting their ongoing grief over the tragic loss of Officer John O'Keefe.