A jury of Massachusetts discovered that Karen read not guilty of killing his boyfriend of the Boston police officer in 2022, almost a year after his first prosecution ended in a null trial.
It was acquitted of the most serious charges, including second degree murder, homicide and abandoned the scene after an accident that resulted in death.
The jury found it guilty of operating under the influence of liquor. The judge immediately sentenced her to a one -year probation, the standard for a crime for the first time.
The cheers can be heard from outside the court, where the readjexes of Read have met, while the verdict was read. Reading hugged his legal team and cried after the verdict.
Karen Read Watches Jurores enter the courtroom to resume deliberations during his trial in the Superior Court of Norfolk, on June 18, 2025, in Dedham, Massachusetts.
Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger through AP
The jury began to deliberate the afternoon of June 13 at Norfolk County before reaching a verdict on Wednesday afternoon.
The prosecutors alleged that the reading hit her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, with her car out of Canton’s house by police officer Brian Albert after a night of excessive alcohol consumption in January 2022 and then let him die there during a large snowstorm.
The defense had argued that the Read vehicle did not hit O’Keefe and, instead, said O’Keefe was attacked by a dog and beaten by other people who were in the house before being thrown into the snow to die.
Reading declared himself innocent of the charges and has maintained his innocence.
In short comments when leaving the court, he thanked his “incredible followers” for their financial and emotional support for the last four years.
“No one has fought harder for justice than John O’Kefe than me, than me and my team,” Read added.
Karen Read embraces a supporter when he leaves the court at the beginning of the third day of the jury’s deliberations in his trial in the Superior Court of Norfolk, on June 18, 2025, in Dedham, Mass.
Josh Reynolds/AP
After the verdict, several of the witnesses who testified against Read described the result of the trial “a spontaneous abortion devastating justice”.
“Today, our hearts are with John and the whole O’Keefe family. They have suffered a lot and deserved better from our justice system,” members of the Albert and McCabe families said in a statement. “While we may have more to say in the future, today we cry with John’s family and regret the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories extended by Karen Read, his defense team and some in the media.”
During the deliberations, the jury asked four questions, which include: “If we do not find guilty with two positions but we cannot agree with a position, is it a jury hanging on the three positions or just one position?” The judge told lawyers in court.
The judge told the jury that he cannot answer his question, telling lawyers that it was a “theoretical question.”
The jury also asked about the period of time for when Read is accused of driving under the influence, if the video clips of Read interviews on the case should be considered as evidence and if it is convicted of a sub -charged, if that would mean that it is guilty with the general position.
At an unusual moment, Judge Beverly Cannone told the courtroom early that the jury had indicated during the lunch vacation that they had reached a verdict, and then updated that they did not have a verdict. Cannone sealed that verdict and informed the court that there was still no verdict “because, as we all know, there is no verdict until it is announced and recorded in the open court.”
Karen Read, on the left, goes out with his lawyer Alan Jackson when the Delibera jury in his trial in the Superior Court of Norfolk, on June 16, 2025, in Dedham, Mass.
Charles Kupa/AP
The first Read trial ended in a null trial in July 2024 after the jury could not reach a verdict.
At least four jurors who served in their first judgment last year confirmed that it was found not guilty of second degree murder and leaving a personal injury and death scene, according to Read lawyers. However, the jury could not agree on the third charge of involuntary homicide while operating a motorized vehicle under the influence, lawyers said.
His lawyers presented multiple appeals, until the Supreme Court of the USA. Each appeal was denied.
Karen Lee listens to her lawyer, David Yannetti, addresses Judge Beverly Cannone during her trial in the Superior Court of Norfolk, on June 12, 2025, in Dedham, Mass.
Charles Kupa/AP
Read lawyers made motions for a null trial twice during their second criminal trial, which were denied by the judge.
Like his first test, Read did not take the position in his own defense.
“I’m not testifying,” Read told journalists outside the court on June 10. “[The jury has] I heard my interview clips. They have heard my voice. They have heard a lot from me. “
Read had added one of the alternative jurors of his first judgment to his legal team for the new trial. Victoria George, the alternative jury, is a licensed civil lawyer in Massachusetts.
