Read found not guilty of murder, gets probation for OUI

Hundreds gathered outside Norfolk Superior Court to hear the verdict in the Karen Read trial on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of Tim O’Connor/CCTV)

On a drama-filled Wednesday at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, with hundreds gathered outside and millions more across the globe tuned in to the televised broadcast, a 12-person jury returned a verdict of not guilty on all three primary charges against Karen Read in connection with the January 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe.

The lone offense on which Read, 45, was convicted was a lesser-included charge of operating under the influence of alcohol, and because it was her first offense, Judge Beverly Cannone sentenced her to one year of probation — leading to an emotional celebration for Read and her team inside the courtroom and raucous cheers in the streets for the hundreds of pink-clad “Free Karen Read” supporters who had gathered outside to await the verdict.

Minutes later, Read — who had been facing a possible life sentence in prison for charges including second-degree murder, OUI manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident — was met with a deafening ovation as she walked out of court as a free woman.

In brief remarks on the courthouse steps, Read told the assembled crowd that she would not be standing there without the help of her “amazing” supporters, who she said supported her both financially and emotionally over two trials spanning three and a half years. “The second thing I want to say,” said Read, “is no one has fought harder for justice for John O’Keefe than I have and my team. Thank you.”

Also addressing the crowd was Read’s father, William Read, who took a moment to acknowledge the “strength” of his daughter, the support of the entire Read family, and the “greatest team of attorneys,” including David Yannetti, Alan Jackson, Elizabeth Little and Robert Alessi. “It was a fantastic team, but we needed them all to defeat this,” he said. “We thank everybody for their support from the heart. We love you all.”

Yesterday’s hotly anticipated verdict came after eight weeks of trial testimony from dozens of witnesses and nearly 22 hours of deliberation by the jury spread over parts of four days. At various points throughout the deliberation, it appeared that they might be headed toward a similar fate as Read’s first trial, which ended with a mistrial declaration after the jury communicated to Judge Cannone that it was hopelessly deadlocked.

On Tuesday, jurors in the retrial relayed a series of questions to the court throughout a full day of deliberations, including questions about whether the clips of interviews with Read used by prosecutors could be considered as evidence and during what timeframe on the night in question should the jurors be considering for a possible OUI charge. They also asked what was deemed a hypothetical question on whether they could return a partial verdict — namely if they were to find not guilty on two of the charges but were in disagreement on the other charge — and Judge Cannone declined to answer against the objections of Read’s attorneys.

The judge did, however, provide the jury with an amended verdict slip that sought to clarify the options they had with regard to the OUI manslaughter charge, which included convicting or acquitting on the primary charge or any of the lesser-included charges, such as OUI.

There was also some high drama midway through the day on Wednesday when Cannone called the parties back to the courtroom to announce that jurors had indicated they had reached a verdict, only to report moments later that they were not quite ready to do so. Cannone then held up what she said was a verdict slip in a sealed envelope but said that a verdict would only be final when it was announced in open court.

While that outcome did ultimately come to pass, whether or not Wednesday’s verdict will provide a sense of closure or justice is sure to be the subject of ongoing debate — particularly in a case like Read’s, which not only deeply divided the Canton community but also reopened fresh wounds for the victim’s family while simultaneously captivating the nation.

Shortly after the verdict was read, representatives of the McCabe, Albert and Roberts families — who were witnesses in the trial and friends of O’Keefe’s who faced accusations by the defense ranging from obstruction to conspiracy to murder — issued a joint statement characterizing Read’s acquittal as a “devastating miscarriage of justice.”

“Today, our hearts are with John and the entire O’Keefe family,” the statement read. “They have suffered through so much and deserved better from our justice system. While we may have more to say in the future, today we mourn with John’s family and lament the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories spread by Karen Read, her defense team, and some in the media.”

Also commenting on the outcome of the case was JR McCourt, newly appointed chair of the Canton Select Board, who stated that the town of Canton “respects the legal process” while offering thanks to the members of the jury for their “service and attention over the past several weeks.”

“This case has been the subject of intense public interest, scrutiny and speculation for three years. Our community has been deeply affected,” said McCourt. “Today’s outcome may bring a sense of relief to some and continue to raise questions for others. We encourage members of the community to move forward together, treating one another with respect through civil, constructive dialogue.”

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