Karen Read Retrial Begins January 27, 2025

Karen Read, accused of killing her Boston police officer boyfriend John O'Keefe with her SUV in January 2022, will face a retrial starting January 27, 2025. Norfolk Superior Court Judge Beverly Cannone denied Read's motion to dismiss two charges, including second-degree murder, citing that no official verdict was reached in her first trial, which ended in a mistrial. Read's defense argued that several jurors had intended to acquit her on these charges, but Cannone ruled that without a public verdict, double jeopardy does not apply. Read's attorneys plan to appeal the decision, arguing the denial violates her rights under the Double Jeopardy Clause. The prosecution maintains the judge's ruling aligns with longstanding legal precedents.