Live updates: Karen Read guilty of drunken driving, faces probation

DEDHAM, Mass. — Jurors on Wednesday found Karen Read not guilty of second-degree murder in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, but guilty of a lesser charge of drunk driving after four days of deliberations.

Read faces one year of probation on the charge of operating under the influence of liquor.

The jury handed down its decision after deliberating for at least 22 hours since June 13. The verdict comes nearly a year after a separate jury deadlocked over whether Read killed John O’Keefe in 2022.

Along with the second-degree murder charge, Read also faced charges of manslaughter and leaving the scene for allegedly striking O’Keefe with her SUV during a blizzard and leaving him to die in the snow.

The case attracted international attention, with many people siding with the defense argument that Read was framed by police.

HAPPENING NOW: The verdict is being announced.

Following an afternoon lunch break, Judge Beverly Cannone called everyone back to court and announced that the jury had initially reached a verdict. However, upon returning from lunch, Cannone said the jury indicated that they had not reached a verdict.

“During the luncheon break, I received word from a court officer that the jury had knocked on the door, indicating that they had a verdict. But before I could even summon everybody into court, you know, shortly thereafter, they knocked again and said they didn’t have a verdict. So I asked the court officer to tell them to put that verdict slip in an envelope, and seal it up,“ Cannone told the court. ”I haven’t seen it, it’s been sealed... No one will have access to it. It will be preserved... I’m going to ask it to be marked for identification with the word ‘jury.’”

Cannone added, “There is no verdict unless it is announced and recorded in open court.”

A few minutes later, after the confusion, there was an announcement that a verdict had been reached.

Follow Ted Daniel’s and Ryan Breslin’s live updates from court:

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Before Wednesday, jurors had deliberated for about 12 hours over three days without reaching a verdict, after receiving the case on Friday afternoon following weeks of testimony and closing arguments.

They are trying to reach a verdict on three charges that Read faces:

• Second-degree murder
• Manslaughter while operating under the influence
• Leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death

Each morning of deliberations begins with Judge Beverly Cannone issuing a formal opening to the jurors before they are sent off to deliberate, and the afternoons feature a formal closing at 4 p.m.

The jury, which consists of seven women and five men, is allowed back in the courtroom if any questions arise. After radio silence on Monday, jurors returned to court with four questions on Tuesday:

Question 1: What is the time frame for the OUI charge? OUI at 12:45 a.m. or 5 a.m.?

Answer: Cannone advised jurors that they are the finders of fact and to make their own decision based on the evidence.

Question 2: Are video clips of Read’s documentary interviews evidence?

Answer: Cannone advised that they were

Question 3: Does a guilty verdict on a lesser charge of driving under the influence mean guilt on the main charge, which is manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence?

Answer: Cannone agreed to amend the verdict slip to make it “easier” for jurors to follow.

Question 4: If we find not guilty on two charges but can’t agree on one charge, is it a hung jury on all three charges or just one charge?

Answer: Cannone said the question is “theoretical” and not something she can answer.

Karen Read's retrial: Judge answers jury questions

On Monday, the defense filed a motion requesting that a not guilty box be added to the lesser included charges on verdict slip No. 2.

When a verdict is ultimately reached, both the prosecution and defense will be notified and called back to court.

Read, 45, of Mansfield, is accused of striking John O’Keefe, 46, with her Lexus SUV and leaving him to die alone in a blizzard outside of a house party in Canton at the home of fellow officer Brian Albert on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking.

Throughout her second trial, the prosecution’s theory of jaded love turned deadly was countered by a defense claim that a cast of tight-knit Boston area law enforcement killed a fellow police officer.

Read’s lawyers argued that O’Keefe was beaten, bitten by a dog, then left outside Albert’s home in a conspiracy orchestrated by the police that included planting evidence against Read.

Read’s first trial ended in a mistrial after five days due to a hung jury on July 1, 2024. Several jurors later came out to say that the panel had unanimously agreed that Read was not guilty of the most serious charge of second-degree murder.

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