Trial of Karen Read: Accused of Boyfriend’s Murder
Karen Read is currently on trial for the alleged murder of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe. Jurors recently listened to multiple angry voicemails Read left for O’Keefe in the early hours before he was found dead.
On a snowy night in January 2022, Read dropped O’Keefe off at a friend’s house. When he didn’t return her calls or texts, she became upset. In one voicemail, she accused him of being with another woman, saying, “You’re using me right now.” In another message, she expressed her frustration about his absence, telling him, “Nobody knows where you are.”
The voicemails were played during the tenth day of her murder retrial, which gained significant media attention. Read, aged 45 and from Mansfield, is accused of backing into O’Keefe, who was a Boston police officer, and leaving him in the snow to die. She faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder and vehicular manslaughter while under the influence.
Read has pleaded not guilty and maintains her innocence since her arrest in 2022. Her legal team argues that she is being falsely blamed for O’Keefe’s death, suggesting he may have been attacked earlier in the night.
This retrial comes after the previous jury could not reach a unanimous decision. Testimony from a Massachusetts State Police Trooper revealed that Read connected to O’Keefe’s WiFi shortly after dropping him off and continued trying to contact him until she fell asleep. The next morning, she appeared worried when she still couldn’t reach him.
In her last voicemail, voiced desperation as she found O’Keefe unresponsive. Over a span of five hours, Read called him 44 times, left eight voicemails, and sent numerous texts.
As the trial continues, the focus remains on the evidence and the circumstances surrounding O’Keefe’s tragic death.
