Unraveling the Karen Read Case: Key Details About Boston's High-Profile Murder Trial

The Karen Read Case: Everything You Need to Know About Boston's High-Profile Murder Trial

For the past two years, the death of Boston police Officer John O'Keefe, the subsequent discovery of his body outside a Canton home on January 29, 2022, and the ensuing investigation and trial have captured public attention. Karen Read, a 44-year-old from Mansfield, Massachusetts, was an adjunct professor at Bentley College, teaching finance, but was fired after her arrest.

According to Court TV, Read and O'Keefe had been dating for two years. The trial has revealed a tumultuous relationship, with arguments over matters such as what Read fed O’Keefe’s two adopted children and a 2021 altercation in Cape Cod over O’Keefe’s treatment of her. The Associated Press reported that a witness testified Read became angry after suspecting O'Keefe had kissed another woman during a vacation in Aruba. Prosecutors allege that Read and O’Keefe had been drinking at a Canton bar with friends and acquaintances before an argument led to her hitting him with her SUV outside the home of Brian Albert, who was hosting an after-party, shortly before 12:30 a.m.

However, Read's lawyers contend that she dropped O'Keefe off at Albert's home, where he was fatally beaten inside before his body was planted on the front lawn. They argue she was then framed for his death. Read was arrested on February 1, 2022, and freed on bail the next day.

The case has generated significant online intrigue and scandal, attracting the attention of true crime YouTubers, TikTokers, and internet sleuths. Aidan Kearney, the Holden blogger known as Turtleboy, extensively covered the case and helped draw attention to the trial. Kearney faces multiple counts of witness intimidation related to allegations of harassing witnesses in Read’s case. He has accused some witnesses, including Brian Albert, the Boston officer who owned the home, of being the true culprits. Kearney publicly posted his attempts to contact some witnesses, used crude language about many of them, and led followers to “protests” outside their homes.

In May, a judge barred Kearney from covering some testimony in person, citing a potential "chilling" effect on witnesses. The trial began on April 21, with witness testimony starting on April 29.

At the center of the case is Karen Read, who was dating O'Keefe at the time of his death and was arrested days later on charges of manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, and leaving the scene of a deadly crash. Two narratives have emerged since her arrest: the state alleges that Read killed O'Keefe by backing into him with a car and leaving him to die, while Read's defense team claims that the police and other parties colluded to frame her for O'Keefe's murder.

Here’s what to know about Karen Read and the trial.