The jury in the high-profile Massachusetts murder trial of Karen Read remains deadlocked, unable to reach a unanimous verdict after five days of deliberations. Read stands accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, by allegedly backing into him with her SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm in Dedham in 2022.
Despite sending notes to the judge on both Friday and again today indicating their inability to come to a unanimous decision, the jury has been instructed to continue deliberating. On Friday, the judge advised the jurors to take the weekend to clear their heads and return with fresh perspectives. However, their continued deliberations this morning still resulted in a deadlock.
During the two-month-long trial, prosecutors argued that Read, in a state of drunken anger, struck O’Keefe with her vehicle, resulting in his death. They presented evidence and testimonies aimed at establishing her guilt in the tragic incident. In stark contrast, the defense has maintained that Read is being framed by corrupt police officers, challenging the prosecution’s narrative and questioning the integrity of the investigation.
The case has drawn considerable attention, with public interest centered on the contrasting claims of accidental death versus a deliberate framing. As deliberations continue, the judge has emphasized to the jury that they are the best hope for reaching a verdict, urging them to persist in their efforts to find a resolution.
