Jury Deadlocks in Karen Read Murder Trial, Mistrial Declared in Massachusetts

A Norfolk County, Massachusetts jury declared itself unable to reach a unanimous verdict on July 1, 2024, in the second-degree murder trial of Karen Read, prompting the court to declare a mistrial, as Axios Boston reported ^[1]. The jury sent a note to Judge Beverly Cannone, for a second time informing her that it could not reach a unanimous verdict. The jury said members were "deeply divided," and Cannone asked them to return for one final round of deliberations before, later that day, declaring a mistrial due to the hung jury.

Read had faced charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of personal injury and death. Her first criminal trial resulted in the mistrial on July 1, 2024, due to a hung jury. Read had been accused of striking John O'Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, with her SUV in 2022 and leaving him to die alone in the snow outside of a house party in Canton, Massachusetts. Closing arguments were delivered on June 25, 2024, and jury deliberation started the same day. On July 1, after 25 hours of deliberation, the jury was unable to come to a unanimous decision, citing "fundamental differences" in their beliefs.

A central pillar of the defense strategy, according to Axios Boston, was the presentation of forensic evidence suggesting O'Keefe's injuries were not consistent with a vehicle strike ^[1]. Defense dog bite expert Dr. Marie Russell opined at trial that O'Keefe's arm wounds were from an animal attack, not Read's SUV. Russell's testimony was integral to the defense team's alternate theory of O'Keefe's death: that he walked into the house party and was severely beaten, attacked by the family's dog, and dumped outside in the snow. The defense suggested that the Albert family's German Shepherd, named Chloe, could have attacked O'Keefe, who was found dead outside the family's home on Fairview Road. Prosecutors disputed Russell's qualifications and methodology throughout the proceedings ^[2].

Hours after the mistrial was declared, Massachusetts State Police announced that Trooper Michael Proctor, the lead investigator in the case, had been "relieved of duty." Post-trial, at least four jurors who served on the first trial confirmed that Read was found not guilty of second-degree murder and leaving a scene of personal injury and death, according to Read's attorneys. However, the jury could not agree on the third charge of manslaughter while operating a motor vehicle under the influence. Multiple jurors later came forward to say they had all agreed that Read was not guilty of murder or leaving the scene, but had been confused about how to deliver a partial verdict. Read's lawyers then filed multiple appeals, all the way to the Supreme Court, arguing that double jeopardy should prevent Read from being retried on the charges the jury had allegedly agreed on. Their efforts were unsuccessful, paving the way for a retrial.

Read's first trial, which started in April 2024 at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, ended months later in a mistrial due to a "starkly divided" hung jury. After months of additional pretrial hearings, jury selection in Read's second trial began on April 1, 2025. Read was ultimately found not guilty of the most serious charges in her retrial in June 2025. In their fourth day of deliberations, jurors acquitted Read of second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of O'Keefe. She was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol.

References

[1] Axios Boston. (2024, July 01). Karen Read mistrial: Jury can't reach verdict in John O'Keefe killing. https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/07/01/karen-read-murder-case-mistrial

[2] CBS News Boston. (2024, December 04). Karen Read prosecutors want defense dog bite expert blocked from testifying again. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/karen-read-prosecutors-want-defense-dog-bite-expert-blocked/

[3] CBS News Boston. (2024, July 01). A timeline of the Karen Read case and the story behind the high-profile Massachusetts murder trial. https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/karen-read-trial-timeline-john-okeefe/

[4] ABC News. (2025, June 18). Karen Read found not guilty of murder in retrial on police officer boyfriend's death. https://abcnews.com/US/karen-read-retrial-verdict/story?id=122895647

[5] NPR. (2025, June 18). Karen Read's second murder trial ends with an acquittal. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/18/nx-s1-5435406/karen-read-acquitted-trial-verdict-not-guilty