Karen Read’s 2nd murder trial begins Tuesday with jury selection

DEDHAM, Mass. — Karen Read’s second murder trial begins Tuesday with jury selection.

Read, 45, of Mansfield, is accused of hitting John O’Keefe, her Boston police officer, with her Lexus SUV in Canton on Jan. 29, 2022, and leaving him to die after a night of drinking. The defense has sought to portray Read as the victim, saying O’Keefe was actually killed inside the Albert family home at 34 Fairview Road in Canton and then dragged outside and left for dead.

She has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death.

In February, Read told Boston 25 investigative reporter Ted Daniel, “I’ve been framed.” She also declared, “I have nothing to hide.”

After several failed attempts to get the case thrown out, Read’s retrial will kick off at 9 a.m. when the first batch of prospective jurors will be brought into Dedham’s Norfolk Superior Court for questioning.

Judge Beverly Cannone extended the buffer zone in the area of Bates Court, Bullard Street, Ames Street, and Court Street to keep demonstrators a distance from the courthouse.

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Cannone said the demonstrators will also be “prohibited from using audio enhancing devices while protesting.”

“The case continues to garner significant public interest. When the matter is in court, individuals line the sidewalks outside the courthouse, loudly chanting and voicing their opinions about witnesses, attorneys, and the strength of the Commonwealth’s case,” Cannone stated in a ruling last week. “If prospective jurors are exposed to the protestors and messages displayed on signs or otherwise, particularly before this Court has had an opportunity to instruct the jurors about their obligations with regard to remaining fair and unbiased, there is a substantial risk that the defendant’s right to a fair trial will be jeopardized.”

The prosecution and defense have each named more than 90 prospective witnesses.

Read supporters hosted standouts across the country on Sunday to bring attention to her case.

Read’s first trial ended with a hung jury.

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Karen Read tells her story in an exclusive one-on-one interview. Watch the extended cut:

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