For the past two years, the death of Boston police Officer John O’Keefe, the subsequent discovery of his body outside of a Canton home on Jan. 29, 2022, and the investigation and trial that followed have captured public attention.
And at the center of that has been Karen Read, the woman who was dating O’Keefe at the time of his death and who was arrested days afterward on charges of manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene of a deadly crash.
Two narratives have emerged since the arrest. The state alleges that Read killed O’Keefe by backing into him with a car and leaving him to die. Read’s defense team argues that the police and other parties have colluded to frame Read for O’Keefe’s murder.
Here’s what to know and Karen Read.
Who is Karen Read?
Read is from Mansfield, Massachusetts. The 44-year-old was an adjunct professor at Bentley College, teaching finance, but was fired from her job after she was arrested.
Read and O’Keefe were dating for two years, according to Court TV. In the trial, the relationship has been painted as tumultuous, with arguments about “what Read fed O’Keefe’s two adopted children, and that he witnessed a 2021 fight the couple had in Cape Cod over how O’Keefe treated her,” according to the Associated Press. A witness also testified that Read became angry after she thought O’Keefe had kissed another woman during a vacation to Aruba.
Prosecutors say Read and O’Keefe had been drinking at a Canton bar with friends and acquaintances before they got into an argument. They say she hit him with her SUV outside the home of Brian Albert, who was hosting an after-party, shortly before 12:30 a.m.
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But Read’s lawyers say Read dropped O’Keefe off at Albert’s home, and that O’Keefe was fatally beaten inside before his body was planted on the front lawn. They say she was then framed for his death.
On Feb. 1, 2022, Read was arrested; she was freed on bail the next day.
Why did the Karen Read trial go viral?
The intrigue and scandal the case has generated gets the attention of the online world, as true crime YouTubers, TikTokers and internet sleuths begin following the Read case.
Aidan Kearney, the Holden blogger known as Turtleboy, covered the case extensively, and was part of drawing attention to the trial. Kearney is facing multiple counts of witness intimidation tied to allegations he harassed witnesses in Read’s case. He has accused some of the witnesses who testified – including Brian Albert, the Boston officer who owned the home – of being true culprits in the case. Kearney has publicly posted his attempts to contact some of the witnesses, spoke of many of them using crude language and brought followers to “protests” outside their homes.
More:Judge bars Turtleboy from being present for some witnesses in Karen Read murder trial
In May, Kearney was barred from covering some of the testimony in person, with the judge ruling his presence could have a “chilling” effect.
The trial began on April 21, with witness testimony beginning on April 29.
Who is Michael Proctor?
Another person to know in the case is Michael Proctor.
The defense team has focused scrutiny on Proctor, a state police trooper who led the investigation of O’Keefe’s death, accusing him of planting evidence at the crime scene.
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During the trial, Proctor was asked to read text communications he had with others regarding Read. These communications revealed what the defense said is a bias against Read in the midst of the investigation. Proctor was also revealed to have made crude jokes, including about searching for nude pictures of the defendant when going through her phone.
It has even reached up to the governor’s office, with Maura Healey denouncing the disparaging texts made by Proctor after they were revealed during court proceedings.
What has public reaction been to the trial?
Some Massachusetts residents have taken to the streets and protest the trial, calling for Read to be freed and advocating for her innocence.
Previous reports by The Patriot Ledger and The Worcester Telegram & Gazette were used in this report.
