Karen Read will be retried for murder in John O’Keefe’s death following mistrial, DA says

DEDHAM, Mass. — Karen Read will be retried for murder in connection with the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe after Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial over a deadlocked jury.

In a statement, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said, “First, we thank the O’Keefe family for their commitment and dedication to this long process. They maintained sight of the true core of this case – to find justice for John O’Keefe. The Commonwealth intends to re-try the case.”

Read faced second-degree murder and other charges in the death of O’Keefe who was found outside a Canton home of another Boston police officer in January 2022.

Prosecutors said Read and O’Keefe had been drinking heavily before she dropped him off at a party at the home of Brian Albert, a fellow officer. They said she hit him with her SUV before driving away.

The defense sought to portray Read as the victim, saying O’Keefe was actually killed inside Albert’s home and then dragged outside and left for dead.

Judge Cannone called this a long case with 74 witnesses, 657 exhibits, and very complex issues.

Cannone ultimately declared the mistrial after the jury told her on three occasions that they couldn’t reach a unanimous verdict due to “fundamental differences” in opinion.

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Officer Killed Girlfriend Trial Before the jury enters, Judge Beverly J. Cannone, right, speaks to the defense and prosecution during the Karen Read trial at the Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., Monday, July 1, 2024. This is their fifth day of deliberations in the murder trial for Read. Read is accused of backing her SUV into her Boston Police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, and leaving him to die in a blizzard in Canton, in 2022. (Pat GreenhouseThe Boston Globe via AP, Pool) (Pat Greenhouse/AP)

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