The jury in the Karen Read murder trial will resume deliberating on Monday morning after the Massachusetts judge overseeing the case ordered the panel to persist, despite a note from jurors stating they could not reach a unanimous verdict. Karen Read is accused of drunkenly driving into her police officer boyfriend and leaving him to die in January 2022.
The jury, consisting of six men and six women, has been deliberating Read's fate since midday last Tuesday. The case has featured accusations of a vast police cover-up and improper conduct, including sexist text messages from a lead investigator.
Prosecutors allege that Read got into an argument with her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, that night, and drunkenly backed into him before fleeing the scene, leaving him to die in the cold. In contrast, Read's defense has accused off-duty police officers of fatally beating O’Keefe, dumping his body, and framing Read through fabricated evidence and false testimony.
The closing arguments marked the end of a murder trial that has garnered widespread interest, including accusations of witness tampering and a federal probe into the investigation. The prosecution's case has been marred by missteps, including offensive texts from a lead investigator about Read, which were sharply criticized both in and out of court.
The judge has decided not to read the Tuey-Rodriguez instructions to the jury prematurely and has asked them to continue deliberating on a verdict. If found guilty of second-degree murder, Read faces a maximum sentence of life in prison under Massachusetts law.
Deliberations will resume on Monday at 9 a.m. as the jury works towards a decision in this controversial case that has captivated both local and widespread attention.
