Karen Read acquitted of murder in Boston officer death retrial

Karen Read was acquitted of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death on June 18, 2025, in Norfolk County Superior Court in Dedham, Massachusetts. The jury convicted her only on an operating under the influence (OUI) charge, resulting in one year of probation and enrollment in a 24D Program—standard consequences for a first-time DUI offender.

Read had been accused of striking Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe with her SUV on January 29, 2022, outside a home in Canton, Massachusetts, owned by fellow police officer Brian Albert, then leaving him to die in a blizzard. Read's defense team argued she was framed in a law enforcement conspiracy and that someone inside Albert's home killed O'Keefe.

The retrial, presided over by Judge Beverly Cannone, saw deliberations begin on the afternoon of June 13, 2025. The jury spent approximately 21 hours deliberating over four days before reaching its verdict Wednesday afternoon. The extended deliberation period underscored the complexity of the case and divisions within the jury.