Karen Read, a Massachusetts woman accused of fatally running over her police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in January 2022, is claiming that she has been framed for the crime. In her first media interview with ABC’s “20/20,” Read described a police conspiracy to blame her for the mysterious death of O’Keefe, who was found dead outside a friend’s house after a night of heavy drinking. Read and two friends had driven to the house to look for O’Keefe and found his body the next morning. The defense asserts that O’Keefe was fatally injured in an altercation at a house party and then left outside to frame Read for the crime in a department-wide plot.
The defense’s argument is that the injuries found on O’Keefe’s body, specifically trauma to the head and hands, suggest that he was attacked and not hit by a large vehicle like Read’s SUV. One key piece of evidence against Read is a broken tail light on the back of her Lexus SUV, with shards of red plastic consistent with such a light found on O’Keefe’s body. Additionally, Read had a blood alcohol content far above the legal limit and had left angry voicemails on O’Keefe’s phone accusing him of infidelity and expressing hatred towards him. When confronted by O’Keefe’s parents, who suspected her of the murder, Read knew she needed to get an attorney and maintain her innocence.
Charged with second-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter, Read went to court in July leading to a mistrial. Prosecutors intend to retry her in January, raising tensions and sparking large protests on both sides of the case. Read addressed her supporters after the mistrial, comparing them to Vietnam War protesters and thanking them for their bravery. Despite the public attention and controversy surrounding the trial, Read maintains her innocence, denying any possibility that she could have hit O’Keefe unwittingly in her large SUV. This ongoing case has captured the interest of the public and has become a highly contentious and divisive issue in the community.
The dramatic and twist-filled trial involving Karen Read, accused of running over her police officer boyfriend, has garnered significant media attention as she continues to assert her innocence and claim that she has been framed by a police conspiracy. The defense’s argument that O’Keefe was attacked at a house party and left outside to frame Read for the crime has sparked speculation and further investigation into the case. With conflicting evidence such as the injuries on O’Keefe’s body and the broken tail light on Read’s SUV, the case has become a complex and polarizing issue that will likely be closely followed by the public as it goes to retrial in the new year.
As the legal proceedings against Karen Read continue, the public response to the case has been intense, with large crowds of protesters gathering on both sides of the courtroom. Read’s vocal supporters have drawn comparisons to historical protests like those against the Vietnam War, with Read acknowledging their bravery and commitment to fighting for her innocence. Despite the mounting tensions and controversies surrounding the trial, Read remains steadfast in her denial of any involvement in O’Keefe’s death, setting the stage for an emotionally charged and closely watched legal battle in the coming months. The ongoing saga of Karen Read and the allegations against her demonstrate the intricate and complex nature of high-profile criminal cases and the impact they have on the communities involved.
