Karen Read Acquitted of Murder, Sentenced to Probation for DUI

On June 18, 2025, a Norfolk County jury acquitted Karen Read, a former financial analyst and professor, of all major charges—including second-degree murder, manslaughter under the influence, and leaving the scene—in the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe. She was, however, convicted of operating under the influence (OUI) and received one year of probation.

• One year after the first trial ended in a hung jury in July 2024, a second began in April 2025.
• Prosecutors alleged Read knocked O’Keefe down with her SUV outside a party and left him in freezing snow.
• The defense countered that O’Keefe had been assaulted during a party at a fellow officer’s home and then staged outside—accusing law enforcement of intentional evidence tampering.

Investigators linked Read’s vehicle to the scene through taillight shards and blood-alcohol evidence. However, the defense spotlighted major flaws:

• Former lead investigator, Trooper Michael Proctor, was fired over ethical and procedural misconduct—over text messages and mishandling of evidence.
• Forensic experts found O’Keefe’s injuries inconsistent with a vehicle strike; instead, they suggested alternate causes—possibly a dog attack.

Both sides focused sharply: prosecutors emphasized OUI and potential accident evidence, while the defense challenged integrity of the investigation and promoted reasonable doubt. Jury deliberations took 21 hours, concluding in a split verdict: acquittals on major charges, conviction on DUI.

• Read’s reaction: Tearful embrace with supporters outside the courthouse, expressing deep gratitude and calling herself a fighter for "justice for John O’Keefe".
• Opposition: O’Keefe’s family and trial witnesses termed the verdict a “devastating miscarriage of justice” in joint statements.
• Legal observers noted this case again ignited conversations around privilege, conspiracy, and trust in police investigations.
• Read continues to face a wrongful death lawsuit filed by O’Keefe’s family in civil court.
• The lead trooper’s misconduct triggered both internal reviews and a subsequent—but unpublished—federal inquiry.

The jury’s decision shows how investigative missteps can unravel a prosecution, even in a high-profile case involving alleged police wrongdoing. Karen Read’s acquittal on the most serious charges, combined with a DUI conviction, leaves unresolved questions: Did she kill O’Keefe, frame or be framed? As she readies for civil court and justice-system critics press on, the community remains sharply divided—and the complexity of truth endures.