Karen Read Acquitted of Murder and Manslaughter in Boyfriend John O’Keefe’s Death

Outside the courthouse, the cheering had already begun. Pink-clad supporters huddled against the railings, eyes fixed on the door. Moments earlier, the jury had delivered its conclusion. Karen Read was accused of killing her longtime partner. Boston police officer John O’Keefe, had been found not guilty of murder, manslaughter, and leaving the scene. The courtroom remained still. Outside, it was anything but.

Read, 44, was acquitted of the most serious allegations. Including second-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. She was, however, convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. The jury had spent four days in deliberation. The result. She would serve no prison time. A one-year probation was agreed upon by both parties. Closing a chapter that began more than two years ago and commanded national attention.

Karen Read Walks Free After Acquittal in Officer’s Death

Her reaction was immediate and public. As the crowd outside roared its approval, Read stepped out, embraced her attorneys. And faced the press. She spoke briefly. Claiming no one had done more to pursue justice for O’Keefe than she had. The gathered supporters answered with chants and American Sign Language hand signs. Some waved flags. Others sang patriotic hymns. The courtroom had been quiet. The street had not. Her father, William Read, addressed the press later. He credited independent media outlets for maintaining interest in the case. Calling them essential in keeping pressure on what he described as a flawed investigation.

However, not everyone left the courthouse satisfied. Witnesses close to the case issued a written statement condemning the outcome. They described the trial as corrupted by misinformation and what they referred to as a “cruel reality.” They named Read, her legal team, and various media figures as the sources of these distortions. Among them was Aidan Kearney, an independent blogger known online as “Turtleboy.” Whose work consistently questioned the police narrative. Speaking to local news following the verdict, he called the result a “surreal emotional experience.” He remains under indictment himself. Facing charges of witness intimidation. He has denied all allegations.

The case’s notoriety has already extended beyond the courtroom. A Hulu series, podcast investigations, and an upcoming Netflix documentary have each centered the public’s fixation on Read’s trial. Before her arrest, Read had worked in finance and academia. And had been in a relationship with O’Keefe for two years. Prosecutors argued that she struck him while reversing her vehicle, drunk and angry. Her defense argued he was beaten inside the home of a fellow officer and left in the snow. That question. Where and how John O’Keefe died. It was the question that dominated proceedings. It remains unresolved in the eyes of many. The jury, however, has delivered its decision.

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