Latest news with #KarenRead
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
The Karen Read retrial may be over, but we'll never truly be free of the case. (And now what do we do with ourselves?)
Advertisement All around the world, people who couldn't even believe they cared held their breath until, finally, the verdict was read in open court: Karen Read was not guilty of murdering John O'Keefe. Not guilty of manslaughter. Guilty only of operating a vehicle under the influence. Get Love Letters: The Newsletter A weekly dispatch with all the best relationship content and commentary – plus exclusive content for fans of Love Letters, Dinner With Cupid, weddings, therapy talk, and more. Enter Email Sign Up The defense team hugged. The victim's family disappeared from view, as if they had done something wrong. Law enforcement mustered on the steps of the courthouse. The pink bosoms heaved, their hearts full, their eyes on the courthouse doors. It was like waiting for the royal family, or maybe the pope, to take the balcony. Finally, their icon appeared. Read and attorney Alan Jackson flashed the American Sign Language sign for 'I love you.' Attorney David Yannetti pumped his fists. Advertisement 'No one has fought harder for justice for John O'Keefe than I have,' Read said. It was glorious — the release they'd all been waiting for — but eventually the stars left the stage and climbed into dark cars and pulled away, and the crowd dispersed and the traffic in downtown Dedham began to flow, and that seemed to be that. The end of an era. Supporters of Karen Read react after she was found not guilty of second-degree murder on Wednesday in Dedham. Josh Reynolds/Associated Press Or, was it? Painful as it is, perhaps now is a good time to recall the Indeed, no sooner had the jury delivered its verdict than the last three and a half years began to feel like merely the prelude to an even juicer season, starting, of course, with the hunt for the real killer! 'The time has come to scrutinize the actions of [people] who were caught lying — committing perjury during the trial,' a Read supporter wrote on Facebook. On the X platform, the snark and 'gotchas' continued with zest, as if the trial hadn't ended. 'Imagine getting convicted of a DUI and you walk outside to streets full of people cheering you on,' one post read. 'The saddest part of the Karen Read saga is John O'Keefe is still dead and the people who actually murdered him will never be punished thanks to the thin blue line,' read another. It was the same story outside the courthouse, where Read supporters were trying to propel the action forward. 'Bev needs to go! Bev needs to go!' the crowd chanted, waving American flags and gunning for Judge Beverly Cannone. Advertisement Aidan Kearney, the now-supercharged blogger known as Turtleboy, announced that he was at last free to reveal that he's involved with a The plot points kept coming. Some of the trial's witnesses put out a somewhat ominous statement. 'While we may have more to say in the future, today we mourn with John's family and lament the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories,' read the statement from Jennifer McCabe, who was with Read when she found O'Keefe's body in the snow; Brian Albert, who lived at the home where O'Keefe's body was found, and others. The town of Canton, apparently desperate to move forward (as if), put out its own declaration. 'We encourage members of the community to move forward together, treating one another with respect through civil, constructive dialogue,' it said. And throughout the region, regular citizens began to face a scary reality: themselves. What would they turn to to take their minds off their own lives now? What are people going to do now that they don't have the Read trial to watch or discuss or argue over? Sure, there are books to read, hobbies to develop, and nonprofits at which to volunteer. Then again, considering the pending Beth Teitell can be reached at
Daily Mail
7 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Karen Read juror reveals moment that convinced jury she was innocent in murder trial that captivated America
One of the jurors who voted to acquit Karen Read of murder over the death of her Boston cop boyfriend has spoken out about the decision. The juror, only identified as Jason, told TMZ that there were a lot of 'holes' in the case prosecutors presented as they argued Read drunkenly rammed her SUV into her boyfriend, former Boston police officer John O'Keefe, and left him to die in blizzard conditions on January 29, 2022. 'There was holes in that case that left reasonable doubt,' Jason said, though he noted he was not sure whether police corruption played a role in the 'poor investigation' into O'Keefe's death - as Read's defense had suggested. 'I don't know if there was any corruption going on, but I do know that there wasn't enough proof or evidence secured by the police to convict Karen Read, absolutely,' he explained. The jury ultimately returned a not guilty verdict on the charges of murder and leaving the scene resulting in death on Wednesday. However, Read was found guilty of Operating Under the Influence and was sentenced to probation. She had already faced the charges at a trial last year. But after five days of deliberations, Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial as the jurors remained split on whether she intentionally killed her boyfriend. Jason said that during her second trial there was initially some division amongst the 12 jurors as some were convinced she was 'definitely innocent,' while others agreed there was enough reasonable doubt to acquit her on at least the most serious charges. Others remained on the fence and 'a few' thought she was guilty - before being persuaded that there was too much reasonable doubt. But Jason said he doesn't believe Read ever even hit O'Keefe with her SUV, as the prosecutors had claimed. He pointed out that the jury was shown a video that showed Read's taillight was working fine after the alleged collision - despite prosecutors saying they found pieces of broken taillight around O'Keefe's body. Jason said he now remains unsure what happened to O'Keefe on the night of January 22, 2022, but he does not believe Read was responsible. The only thing the prosecution convinced the jury on, he said, was that there was 'enough evidence she was driving under the influence.' Prosecutors had argued Read was drinking with O'Keefe and a group of his friends at the Waterfall Bar and Grill in Canton - about 14 miles south of Boston - when they were invited to an afterparty at his friend Brian Albert's home. Read had even admitted to having several alcoholic drinks beforehand, but said she decided to drop O'Keefe off at the afterparty before she returned to his house. According to Read's version of events, she woke up at 4am to find that O'Keefe never returned home, leading her to frantically drive out to try and find him. After finding O'Keefe's body outside the home - which party attendees claimed he never entered - first responders on the scene alleged that Read repeatedly told them she hit him while in a panicked state. The prosecutors then argued that Read was a scorned lover who chose to leave O'Keefe dying in the snow, after striking him with her SUV. O'Keefe's cause of death was ultimately listed as blunt force trauma and hypothermia after police say he was left outside in a blizzard. The couple had been dating for two years at the time and were said to be having arguments in their relationship. Read's defense team, though, suggested O'Keefe was beaten, bitten by a dog, then left outside a home in the Boston suburb in a conspiracy orchestrated by the police that included planting evidence - the taillights the police had found. They argued that investigators focused on Read because she was a 'convenient outsider' who saved them from having to consider law enforcement officers as suspects. At the center of their argument were claims that the investigation was inappropriately handled by dishonorably discharged State Trooper Michael Proctor, who sent vulgar text messages about Read. He was fired over texts that included calling Read a 'whack job' and a 'c***.' In other messages, he joked about rummaging through her phone for nude photos during the investigation, and remarked that she had 'no a**.' Defense attorney Alan Jackson brought Proctor up again in his closing arguments as he claimed the prosecution could only feign a case because 'their investigation was flawed from the start because their investigator was corrupted from the start by bias, personal loyalties.' Jackson went on to argue that experts agree 'there was no collision,' and concluded by saying 'reasonable doubt abounds.' The case - and the suggestion that there was a police coverup - captivated America, as Read gained a cult following from the widespread social media coverage and hit HBO documentary of the case. The 'Free Karen Read' supporters were such a presence at her trial that the judge ordered they be kept 500 feet away from the courthouse and banned attendees inside the court from wearing pink, a color that they wore to show support for Read. 'Honestly, that made the pressure a lot harder and it did not give me comfort, it made it a lot harder to block everything out,' Jason said of the crowd outside, noting that 'all of the eyes were on us.' But he insisted Read's widespread support played no role in the jury's final decision, and when the verdict was finally read on Wednesday, Read was greeted by a massive crowd of pink-clad fans shouting 'Karen Read is free.' One supporter told she was ecstatic over the news and was ready to help fight for justice for O'Keefe. 'God, this is just. The American jury system prevailed, and the Commonwealth failed. The Commonwealth failed its people. The jury came back with a just verdict,' said Rita Lombardi, who had been at court nearly every day. 'This is history, and this is what ordinary people did: ordinary people raised their voices in positive and productive ways to speak truth to power. 'My message to the people who did this to John is that you failed miserably. It's just the beginning,' she warned. In brief remarks following the verdict, Read thanked her lawyers and her fans. '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.' But O'Keefe's loved ones - including the party host Brian Albert - condemned the not guilty verdict as a 'miscarriage of justice.' 'Today, our hearts are with John and the entire O'Keefe family. They have suffered through so much and deserved better from our justice system,' they said in a statement. 'While we may have more to say in the future, today we mourn with John's family and lament the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories spread by Karen Read, her defense team, and some in the media. 'The result is a devastating miscarriage of justice.' The statement was penned by Jennifer McCabe, Matthew McCabe, Chris Albert, Julie Albert, Colin Albert, Nicole Albert, Brian Albert, Kerry Roberts, and Curt Roberts, some of whom were at the house party the night O'Keefe died.
Fox News
8 hours ago
- Fox News
Michael Proctor laughs at Karen Read corruption allegations as he fights to get job back
Former Massachusetts State Police Trooper Michael Proctor laughed at the notion that he tried to frame Karen Read in 2022 when John O'Keefe died, he said in a recent television interview. In the interview which aired on Thursday night, Proctor responded to accusations that he's corrupt and deliberately tried to frame Read in the death of her boyfriend, who was a Boston Police Department officer. "I laugh because it's such a ridiculous accusation," Proctor said on NBC's "Dateline." "There's not one piece of evidence or fact to support that, because it did not happen. I would never do something like that." When asked if he cracked the taillight on Read's Lexus, Proctor responded "absolutely not." Proctor, who was the lead investigator in Read's case, shared "derogatory texts" regarding the suspect, in addition to sharing "sensitive or confidential information," an internal review found. The review found Proctor called Read a "wack job," a "babe… with no a--" and a "c---." He also wrote that he wished Read would kill herself in addition to joking about looking for nude selfies on Read's phone. Proctor told "Dateline" that he should get his job back. "I've never had a single complaint. I've never been the subject of any disciplinary actions. All my employee evaluations are either outstanding or excellent. And I still love the job. I still want to be a trooper. And I'm fighting for it. You know, I'm going to the appeals process now," Proctor said. The former Massachusetts State Trooper also responded to accusations that his text messages about Read were inappropriate. "What's in your private phone, your personal phone?" Proctor asked. " Have you ever had a moment of...A poor lapse of judgment, when you're just airing stuff out on your personal phone, you have an expectation of privacy in that little device." Proctor also told ABC's "20/20" he allowed his emotions to get too involved when he sent those texts. "I expressed those emotions in a negative way, which I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have been texting my friends anyhow," he said. "They are what they are. They don't define me as a person. They're regrettable. In a statement posted to X, Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble said new policies have been implemented following Read's case. "The events of the last three years have challenged our Department to thoroughly review our actions and take concrete steps to deliver advanced investigative training, ensure appropriate oversight, and enhance accountability. Under my direction as Colonel, the State Police has, and will continue to, improve in these regards. Our focus remains on delivering excellent police services that reflect the value ofprofessionalism and maintain public trust," Noble said. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE TRUE CRIME HUB Jurors on Wednesday found Read not guilty of second-degree murder, but found her guilty of operating a vehicle while under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of .08% or greater. Following the verdict, special prosecutor Hank Brennan requested Read undergo 1 year of probation in addition to a 24D outpatient program, which is routine for the first drunken driving offense. The verdict came following 30 days of testimony and four days of jury deliberation. Prosecutors initially alleged Read killed her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe on Jan. 29, 2022 while she was driving her car drunk during a blizzard. SIGN UP TO GET THE TRUE CRIME NEWSLETTER O'Keefe was found during the early morning hours of Jan. 29, 2022, with his body lying in the snow. Kerry Roberts and Jennifer McCabe both testified against her, telling jurors that Read was panicked when she called them on the morning of Jan. 29, 2022 saying O'Keefe was missing. McCabe alleged that Read repeated the phrase "I hit him" on the morning he went missing. Timothy Nuttall, a paramedic, also said in court that he heard Read saying "I hit him" three times. Witnesses testified that Read and O'Keefe were drinking with friends, which included McCabe, in Canton and were invited to an after-party at Brian Albert's house, but the couple didn't attend. Read's defense team, however, maintained that Read never hit O'Keefe. Her lawyers blamed O'Keefe's injuries on a dog attack as well as an altercation with men at the after-party. According to witnesses who testified in court, while Read's car was outside Albert's house, she and O'Keefe weren't seen at the after-party. Read told reporters that she saw O'Keefe enter the house prior to her driving away.
CBS News
8 hours ago
- CBS News
Karen Read juror confident in verdict, says "we couldn't prove there was a collision"
Paula Prado is recounting the gravity and emotions of being one of the 12 jurors in the high-profile Karen Read retrial. She said it was an intense week and left court crying but is confident in her decision. "I was happy for Karen Read and her family of course. I think justice was served," Prado said. "But seeing John O'Keefe's family leaving the courthouse, was melt my heart. I'm a mother and I saw her pain through all those days." On Wednesday, the jury acquitted Read of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of bodily injury in the death of her boyfriend, John O'Keefe, in Canton, Massachusetts. Read was only found guilty of operating under the influence of alcohol (OUI). "Investigators didn't do their jobs" "I just want to tell them it's not our fault that Karen Read was not convicted," Prado said. "Even if there is any chance that she is guilty of something, of hurt him somehow, the Commonwealth or the investigators didn't do their jobs to prove that to us." Prado is a lawyer from Brazil. She says part of the reason why the jury reached their verdict, was because of the police investigation, saying there were too many inconsistencies and not enough evidence that a crash occurred. "At first for me, I thought Karen Read was actually maybe guilty of manslaughter in the beginning. But as the weeks passed by, I just realized there was too many holes that we couldn't fill and there is nothing that put her on the scene in our opinion besides just dropping John O'Keefe off," Prado said. "And the taillight, the injuries on his arm didn't make much sense that come from a taillight for us," she said. She said the last witness from ARCCA did a very good job making it clear for her. "We couldn't prove there was a collision, and she was responsible for John's death," Prado said. Hopes O'Keefe's case can be reopened She now hopes that the amount of pressure and attention given to Read's case will be put into getting justice for Boston police officer John O'Keefe. "I really, really hope there is a way for the case to be reopened and they can investigate again and find who actually did that to John," Paula said.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Juror reveals why Karen Read walked free in boyfriend's death
One of the 12 jurors who cleared Karen Read of murder charges in the death of Boston cop boyfriend John O'Keefe explained the panel's reasoning Thursday, a day after her second trial came to a close. The juror also explained brief confusion Wednesday afternoon that arose out of a verdict that jurors later retracted before it was read in court. Judge Beverly Cannone sealed that one. Within minutes, jurors handed down a verdict for real. "Everything on that initial slip was the same as the slip that was presented," Juror No. 4, identified only as "Jason," told TMZ Live. He said they pulled the first slip back over the OUI charge – operating under the influence of liquor, of which jurors found her guilty. Karen Read Murder Case Verdict Reached After Deadlocked First Trial WATCH: Juror No. 4's interview Read On The Fox News App "In our deliberations, we had decided there was enough evidence and proof that she was driving under the influence," he said. Jurors found Read not guilty of murder, manslaughter and fleeing a deadly accident in a trial that stretched on for more than 30 days of testimony and four days of deliberations. The lesser included charge of OUI is the Massachusetts term for drunken driving. "I don't know what happened to John," Jason said. "I was only presented a limited scope of what happened at the night, and I can only base my opinion off of the evidence that was shown in the courtroom. So, I don't really know if there was a cover-up or not. "I know that's the big conspiracy around it, but I don't really know. All I know is there was a lot of holes in the investigation. Whether they were deliberate holes or not deliberate holes, it's kinda hard for me sitting back to know that — you know, what actually happened." He said the defense claim that O'Keefe could have been killed by someone in the house — in an attack that involved a dog — was an "example of reasonable doubt." "We were tasked with finding ... with deciding this person's fate based on the proof in the evidence that the commonwealth was able to present, and there was a lot of holes," he said. He said another important factor for the jury was video that showed Read's taillight. "We could see from the car, after the alleged incident happened, when we could see the taillight it was lit up red, where it shouldn't just have been red," he said. "I don't believe that the SUV collided with John O'Keefe." Still, he added, there was no way for jurors to know whether claims of a "corrupt" police investigation were true. "I don't know that there was any corruption going on," he said. "But do I know that there wasn't enough proof or evidence secured by the police to convict Karen Read? Absolutely." Also Thursday, Massachusetts State Police brass broke their silence on the years-long case marred by investigative missteps and the firing of a state trooper who played a central role in the case. Read was accused — and acquitted — of killing her boyfriend by slamming an SUV into him and leaving him to die on the ground during a blizzard after a drunken argument. Jurors found her guilty only of drunken driving, for which she received a sentence of one year probation and outpatient treatment. Col. Geoffrey Noble, the state police commissioner, said the entire department sends its condolences to O'Keefe's family. "The events of the last three years have challenged our department to thoroughly review our actions and take concrete steps to deliver advanced investigative training, ensure appropriate oversight and enhance accountability," Noble said in a statement. "Under my direction as colonel, the state police has, and will continue to, improve in these regards." He said the goal is to deliver "excellent" service and maintain public trust. GET REAL-TIME UPDATES DIRECTLY ON THE True Crime Hub Jurors did not appear to trust the investigation after four days of deliberation, when they rejected the prosecution's case almost entirely. Massachusetts Trooper Michael Proctor 'Terminated' From State Police The lead investigator on the case, former State Trooper Michael Proctor, lost his job in March after an internal investigation concluded he shared confidential and sensitive law enforcement information with civilians in a group text, the contents of which were also lewd in nature and mocked Read's health issues. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X It was Noble who announced the firing, days before Read's second trial began. Her first trial ended with a deadlocked jury last year after the texts were read in court and Read's defense exposed other glaring flaws in the investigation. "It is incumbent upon me, as well as every member of this department, to hold one another accountable when any member compromises our mission by failing to uphold our values," he said at the time. Sign Up To Get The True Crime Newsletter Noble and the department were also sued by true crime reporters and some of Read's supporters over the enforcement of a "buffer zone" around the Dedham courthouse that their lawyers called unconstitutional. Separately, local police in Canton, Massachusetts, were subjected to an external audit that recommended increased training and oversight while dispelling claims of a conspiracy to frame Read for O'Keefe's death. A federal investigation into the case ended without charges against members of either law enforcement article source: Juror reveals why Karen Read walked free in boyfriend's death
