News June 18, 2025
Karen Read Found Not Guilty of Second-Degree Murder in Retrial
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A verdict has been reached in Karen Read’s second trial.
Read was accused of hitting her police officer boyfriend John O’Keefe with her car in 2022 during a blizzard and a heavy night of drinking and then leaving him to die. She was charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of an accident, but she pleaded not guilty.
On Wednesday, Read was found not guilty of murder in the second degree and leaving the scene of an accident. She was found guilty of operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor.
After the verdict was read, cheers were heard outside. Karen was seen hugging her team and wiping away tears.
Read was sentenced to one year of probation.
The jurors deliberated for four days before reaching a verdict.
Last week, Karen’s defense argued that she was framed, while the prosecution insisted that she made “the choice to let” O’Keefe die in the snow. Prosecutor Hank Brennan told the court, “She was drunk, she hit him, and she left him to die.”
Her first trial ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury.
Read did not testify at either trial.
