Boston Retrial Twist: Karen Read Cleared of Murder, Gets OUI Probation
Okay, spill-the-tea moment incoming—Karen Read has just walked out of her Boston courtroom with a “not guilty” on second-degree murder and leaving-the-scene charges, only to pick up a misdemeanor Operating Under the Influence conviction and a one-year probation sentence, according to court records and TMZ’s exclusive reporting. I’m buzzing like I’ve downed triple espresso because this saga has more twists than a pretzel factory.
In January 2022, prosecutors said Read, now 45, got into a heated, booze-fueled argument with her Boston Police Officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, before reversing her SUV and fatally striking him in a Canton snowbank, then driving off and leaving him to die in a friend’s front yard. That tragic night set off one of the most high-profile local murder cases of the decade (TMZ, Massachusetts Court Records).
After a hung jury in July 2024 sparked a mistrial—when jurors deadlocked 9–3 in favor of vehicular manslaughter charge but acquitted on murder—Read faced a fresh retrial starting in April 2025. Final arguments wrapped last Friday, and by Wednesday afternoon, the 12-person jury (seven women, five men) delivered their bombshell verdict: no murder, no leaving-the-scene felony, just a single misdemeanor OUI conviction (Canton PD press release, Jury Deliberation Transcript).
Okay, let me pause—this is WILD. Her defense team insisted she was framed, claiming O’Keefe actually tangled with his own fellow officers that night, and they pinned the accident on her. Read herself never waivered, maintaining her innocence through tearful testimony and counsels’ fiery closing statements. Skipping out on murder charges means Read avoids decades behind bars, but that probation and OUI label will hang like a sour coffee aftertaste.
Prosecutors argued that physical evidence—tire tracks in the snow, cellphone records, witness statements—pointed squarely at Karen, but defense lawyers hammered on inconsistencies in witness accounts and chain-of-custody questions raised in Massachusetts court documents. Ultimately, the jury sided with reasonable doubt, underscoring how finely balanced the case was from jump street.
Read’s sentence: probation, mandatory alcohol counseling, and community service. She’ll skate by without prison time but with a public stain that might haunt her for years. Meanwhile, O’Keefe’s family has signaled they’re considering an appeal or civil suit—so don’t pack away your coffee just yet.
Whew, that was a LOT. I swear, I could talk about this all day—stay caffeinated, because I’ll keep you looped in on every post-verdict twist.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and TMZ.com, Massachusetts Court Records, Canton Police Department Press Release, Jury Deliberation Transcript
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
