Karen Read / John O'Keefe

John O'Keefe was a sixteen-year veteran of the Boston Police Department and the guardian of his late sister's two children. On the evening of January 28, 2022, O'Keefe and his girlfriend Karen Read went out for drinks at the Waterfall Bar and Grill in Canton, Massachusetts. Shortly after midnight they drove to a gathering at the home of fellow Boston officer Brian Albert at 34 Fairview Road. CBS Boston

O'Keefe was found unresponsive in the snow outside Albert's home the following morning, January 29, during a major winter storm. He was 46 years old. Responding officers observed a wound to the back of his head; he was transported to Good Samaritan Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The Norfolk County medical examiner ruled the cause of death as blunt impact injuries and hypothermia. NBC Boston

Investigators from the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office focused on Read's black Lexus SUV as the potential weapon. Forensic analysis identified broken taillight plastic fragments near O'Keefe's body, which the prosecution argued were consistent with damage found on Read's vehicle. A Canton police officer, Paul Gallagher, collected blood evidence at the scene using red Solo cups and stored them in a brown paper grocery bag — a practice later cited by defense experts as a significant chain-of-custody failure. GBH News

On February 2, 2022, Read was arrested and initially charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide while under the influence, and leaving the scene. A Norfolk County grand jury subsequently indicted her on June 10, 2022, on upgraded charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. CBS Boston

The defense advanced a competing theory: that O'Keefe had entered the Albert home that night, was assaulted inside, and that his body was moved outside. Central to this theory was Brian Albert's German Shepherd, Chloe, a seventy-pound dog that was rehomed months after O'Keefe's death after biting a neighbor. Defense experts testified that abrasions on O'Keefe's right arm were consistent with dog bite marks, not injuries from a vehicle collision. Boston 25 News

Another contested piece of evidence was a Google search on the phone of Jennifer McCabe — Brian Albert's sister-in-law — for the phrase "how long to die in cold." Defense forensic analysts said the search was logged at 2:27 a.m., hours before O'Keefe's body was discovered; prosecutors maintained it occurred after 6:00 a.m. at Read's own request. CBS Boston

The case attracted sustained national attention and became a flashpoint for debate over police accountability. Lead state police investigator Trooper Michael Proctor was found to have sent disparaging and sexually explicit text messages about Read during the investigation. He was fired from the Massachusetts State Police on March 19, 2025. A second state trooper, Yuri Bukhenik, was disciplined for failing to report Proctor's misconduct. GBH News

Read's first trial began on April 29, 2024, before Judge Beverly Cannone in Norfolk Superior Court. After nearly two months of testimony and twenty-seven days of jury deliberation, the jury deadlocked and Judge Cannone declared a mistrial on July 1, 2024. NBC Boston Defense counsel moved to dismiss the case on double jeopardy grounds, but the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled against dismissal, allowing a second trial to proceed.

Jury selection in the retrial began April 1, 2025. On June 18, 2025, after four days of deliberations, the jury acquitted Read of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. She was found guilty only of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol. NPR Judge Cannone sentenced Read immediately to one year of probation and a mandatory alcohol education program — the standard disposition for a first-time OUI offense — with no jail time. ABC News

A federal investigation into alleged witness tampering and obstruction of justice in the case was separately disclosed in 2023 and closed in December of that year without charges. Boston 25 News The O'Keefe family subsequently filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit against Read, which remains pending.

Arrest and Initial Proceedings (2022)

Karen Read, the girlfriend of Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, was arrested in April 2022 and charged with second-degree murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene of an accident after O'Keefe was found dead outside a Canton, Massachusetts home on January 29, 2022. CBS Boston

First Trial (2024)

Trial began April 22, 2024, before Judge Beverly Cannone in Norfolk Superior Court. The prosecution argued Read struck O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV and left him to die in the cold; the defense contended law enforcement staged a cover-up to protect a fellow officer. After 27 days of deliberations, the jury was hopelessly deadlocked. Judge Cannone declared a mistrial on July 1, 2024. NBC Boston

Double Jeopardy Appeal

The defense moved to dismiss on double jeopardy grounds, arguing the first trial had effectively resulted in an acquittal on the murder charge. Boston.com The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments in early 2025 and ruled against dismissal, allowing a second trial to proceed.

Second Trial and Verdict (June 2025)

A second trial commenced in spring 2025. On June 18, 2025, the jury returned a split verdict: not guilty on second-degree murder, not guilty on manslaughter, not guilty on leaving the scene after an accident resulting in death, and guilty on the charge of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol (OUI). NPR

Judge Cannone immediately sentenced Read on the OUI conviction to one year of probation and required her to complete a 24D alcohol education program — the standard disposition for a first-time OUI offense. She received no jail time. CNN

Current Status

Karen Read has been acquitted of murder and manslaughter. She stands convicted of OUI with a sentence of one year of probation, which she is serving. No further criminal proceedings relating to John O'Keefe's death are pending against her.