Karen Read acquitted in killing of police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe; guilty of drunk driving
By Dakin Andone, Jean Casarez, Sarah Boxer, CNN
Dedham, Massachusetts (CNN) — Karen Read was acquitted in the killing of her Boston police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe on Wednesday, vindicating a defendant who had claimed to have been the victim of a sweeping cover-up.
Though she was found guilty of drunk driving, Read’s acquittal on charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death was undoubtedly a victory: As a first-time offender of operating a vehicle under the influence, Read will serve just one year of probation, Judge Beverly Cannone ruled.
She had faced up to life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.
The verdict Wednesday marks a stunning conclusion to a long and divisive case after nearly eight weeks of testimony that featured a combined 49 witnesses from the prosecution and the defense – and comes less than a year after jurors in Read’s first trial failed to reach a unanimous verdict, forcing the judge to declare a mistrial.
In both cases, prosecutors had accused Read of hitting O’Keefe with her SUV during a night out drinking with friends, alleging she struck O’Keefe while driving in reverse and left him to die outside a home in Canton, Massachusetts.
Read claimed innocence, alleging off-duty law enforcement members inside that home were responsible for O’Keefe’s death and that they conspired to frame her. At trial, her defense focused on painting the police investigation as biased and flawed, and offering jurors alternative theories for what, other than Read’s SUV, might have killed O’Keefe.
The sharply divergent theories on each side split these suburbs outside Boston for the better part of three years.
On one side, Read’s supporters donned pink, championed her claims of innocence and echoed allegations of police corruption. They congregated in recent days outside the courthouse in Dedham, Massachusetts, holding their hands up in the American Sign Language gesture for “I love you,” rather than loudly chant “Free Karen Read.”
Meanwhile, O’Keefe’s family and close friends, much more subdued, wore blue. But CNN did not see them outside the courthouse among Read’s advocates, only glimpsing them as they walked into and out of the courthouse, escorted by law enforcement.
Read’s supporters erupted in cheers outside the courthouse as the verdict was read, loud enough to be heard inside the courtroom. Soon, they erupted in song, singing “God Bless America.”
Read soon emerged from the courthouse to the sea of pink-wearing advocates and confetti, thanking them for their support.
“I could not be standing here without these amazing supporters who have supported me and my team financially and, more importantly, emotionally for almost four years,” she said.
“No one has fought harder for justice for John O’Keefe than I have. Than I have, and my team,” she added.
The jury deliberated for about 21 hours over four days.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Jean Casarez and Sarah Boxer reported from Dedham, Massachusetts, while Dakin Andone reported and wrote from New York. CNN’s Braden Walker contributed to this report.
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