DEDHAM, Mass. — Jurors in the Karen Read murder trial were repeatedly urged by the judge to try to reach a verdict in the high-profile case but ultimately they weren’t able to overcome their “starkly divided” perspectives, leading to a mistrial.
Once on Friday, Judge Beverly Cannone ordered jurors back to the jury room to continue deliberations after a foreperson said they hadn’t reached a unanimous verdict despite an “exhaustive review of the evidence.” They returned after the weekend in just over an hour Monday to say little had changed. Cannone asked them again to continue deliberating, reading them Tuey-Rodriguez instructions.
Around 2:30 p.m., the jury returned to the judge for a third time with another note stating that they were still at an impasse.
“Despite our rigorous efforts, we continue to find ourselves at an impasse. Our perspectives on the evidence are starkly divided. Some members of the jury firmly believe that the evidence surpasses the burden of proof, establishing the elements of the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Conversely, others find the evidence fails to meet this standard and does not sufficiently establish the necessary elements of the charges. The deep division is not due to a lack of effort or diligence, but rather a sincere adherence to our individual principles and moral convictions. To continue to deliberate would be futile and only serve to force us to compromise these deeply held beliefs,” the jurors wrote in their third letter to Cannone.
Cannone immediately responded to the letter, saying, “I’m not going to do that to you folks. Your service is complete. I’m declaring a mistrial in this case. I’ll be in to see you privately in a few minutes. Thank you so much for your service.”
Read, 44, of Mansfield, was seen shaking hands with her legal team and giving hugs to family members in the courtroom after Cannone’s announcement.
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Read faced second-degree murder and other charges in the death of her Boston police officer John 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.
The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office says it intends to retry Read on the murder charge at a later time.
Cannone called this a long case with 74 witnesses, 657 exhibits, and very complex issues.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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