Karen Read appeared in court on Wednesday as attorneys from both sides requested a delay in her re-trial for the alleged murder of her cop boyfriend until April. Special Prosecutor Hank Brennan argued that the delay would allow him to reduce the number of witnesses significantly and better prepare for a quick and efficient trial. The first trial, which lasted two months over the 2022 death of Boston cop John O’Keefe, ended in a mistrial with a gridlocked jury in July. The new trial was initially scheduled for January, but both the prosecutors and Read’s attorney agreed on the delay.
During the court appearance, Read wore a plaid knit dress worth about $400 and listened attentively as attorneys argued their sides. Judge Beverly Cannone did not make a decision on the delay motions but scheduled two new hearings for November and December. The November hearing will address prosecution requests for phone records, while the December hearing will consider the possibility of another appearance of a dog bite expert who previously testified in the case. The defense argued that O’Keefe was not killed by Read but by his cop friends in a drunken brawl, with Read being blamed as the killer.
The defense’s explanation of the events leading to O’Keefe’s death was that he was beaten to death by his cop buddies and left in the snow, with Read being scapegoated as the killer. Judge Cannone ruled in favor of allowing a new expert for the prosecution to test data from Karen Read’s SUV, which the state claimed she used to run down O’Keefe, leaving him to die in a snowbank. The defense was given five days to find their own expert to evaluate the evidence. Read is hoping to avoid a second murder trial altogether, as the Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court is still considering a request to throw out charges of murder and leaving the scene of an accident.
The defense team claimed that several jurors had unanimously cleared Karen Read of murder and leaving the scene of an accident but were only unable to reach a decision on manslaughter. They argued that the jurors misunderstood the court procedure, and a mistrial was called before they could explain their position. Judge Cannone had previously denied that motion. The new trial is expected to be more focused and efficient with fewer witnesses and additional expert testimony regarding evidence from Karen Read’s SUV. The outcome of the upcoming hearings and the ruling by the Massachusetts’ Supreme Judicial Court will determine the next steps in the legal proceedings against Read.
