Karen Read verdict ‘could really go either way,’ legal analyst says

DEDHAM, Mass. – Ahead of jury deliberations resuming Monday at Norfolk County Superior Court, many supporters will once again wait on the edge of their seats for a verdict in the Karen Read murder case that’s captivated the region.

The jury was forced to continue deliberations by Judge Beverly Cannone Friday after they initially couldn’t come to a unanimous verdict.

Hundreds outside court waiting for the decision were left without answers Friday.

Boston 25 legal analyst Peter Elikann told us the weekend is a much-needed break for the jury.

“This could really go either way,” said Elikann regarding a verdict. “We don’t know if 11 people are voting one way and there’s one person jamming the whole thing up… or whether there’s a huge disagreement and it’s 50/50.”

While many are wondering what’s taking the jury so long, Elikann says the deliberation period is normal for a trial of this length and magnitude.

He explained, “A lot of people probably thought you go into a jury room, you chat around the table for 45 minutes or so, and you all kind of take a vote and it’s over. But, that’s not how it is.”

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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)

Elikann told Boston 25 that these deliberations can often last weeks and are not an indication of the verdict.

In the roughly 9 week trial, the jury heard dozens of witnesses and hundreds of exhibits.

Elikann finished, “There’s just so much to go over if you want to do a serious, diligent job.”

Deliberations in Dedham will resume Monday at 9 am.

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