Karen Read's high-profile trial started on April 16, 2024, and because many people have already formed opinions about it, finding jurors was expected to be challenging. Boston 25 News reported that legal expert Peter Elikann said that finding jurors "that never heard of this case" might not be possible, but "hopefully we will find jurors that have an open mind."
Karen Read, 44, is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. O'Keefe was found unresponsive on January 29, 2022, and prosecutors say Read hit him with her SUV. Others, including her attorneys, say the accusations against Read are part of a cover-up.
Read faces charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene. She has pleaded not guilty.
On January 28, 2022, Read and O'Keefe were reportedly out drinking. Read drove O'Keefe to a party at a friend's house after they spent some time at a bar.
More from LittleThings: Wynonna Judd’s Daughter Grace Kelley Has Been Charged With Soliciting Prostitution
The party was at police officer Brian Albert's house. Albert and others close to him have said that O’Keefe never actually entered the house, and prosecutors argue that Read hit O'Keefe with her SUV then drove off.
Some time around 4 or 5 a.m., Read was reportedly "distraught" because her boyfriend did not return home and wouldn't answer his phone. Jennifer McCabe, Brian Albert's sister-in-law, was contacted. Later, Read contacted another one of O'Keefe's friends.
Read and the two other women started looking for O'Keefe and found him outside of Albert's house at around 6 a.m. Prosecutors claim that Read said she hit O'Keefe, but O'Keefe has denied that claim. Speaking with ABC News, she said, "I said, ‘I hit him?’ It was preceded by a, ‘Did,’ and proceeded by a question mark."
Prosecutors also claim that Read had a cracked taillight, and that pieces from her taillight were found near O'Keefe's body. However, Read’s defense argue that she has been framed — and supporters of Read also agree.
Read’s defense alleges that something happened to O'Keefe at the party. They say that he was found with wounds on his body that suggest he was involved in a fight and bit by a dog.
Prosecutors said that O'Keefe's cause of death was determined to be "blunt impact injuries of head and hypothermia." But Read's defense has accused prosecutors of withholding information.
They have also argued that investigators involved in the case have a bias, which could mean that they're covering something up.
Read's defense claims that Trooper Michael Proctor and Detective Sgt. Michael Lank have personal relationships with the Albert family, reported NBC Boston.
"Because of Trooper Proctor's personal bias and longstanding relationship with the Alberts, Trooper Proctor consistently testified before the grand jury in a manner that distorted the facts to the grand jury in what can only be described as a concerted effort to shield his longtime friends from criminal liability and ensure the grand jury indicted Ms. Read," Read's defense previously alleged, per NBC Boston.
