On January 29, 2022, the body of Boston Police Department Officer John O’Keefe was discovered outside the residence of Officer Brian Albert in Canton, Massachusetts. The previous evening, O’Keefe had been dropped off by his girlfriend, Karen Read, to attend a gathering hosted by Albert and Jennifer McCabe. Upon discovery, he was transported to a nearby hospital, where his death was attributed to blunt force trauma and hypothermia.
Subsequently, on February 1, 2022, Karen Read was arrested and charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle manslaughter, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office alleged that Read had struck O’Keefe with her SUV and then fled the scene. Read entered a plea of not guilty. Approximately four months later, on June 9, 2022, a grand jury indicted her on charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter while under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of a fatal accident. Throughout the proceedings, Read has maintained her not guilty plea, while her defense attorney has accused the Massachusetts State Police of fabricating evidence and claimed that the lead investigator had a conflict of interest due to familial ties with some witnesses for the prosecution.
The investigation was led by Michael D. Proctor, a Massachusetts State Trooper from the Norfolk State Police Detective Unit. Key evidence collected at the scene included a fragment of a cocktail glass and bloodstains found near O’Keefe’s body, as well as pieces of a broken tail light that corresponded with damage on Read’s vehicle. On February 2, 2022, Karen Read was arraigned in Stoughton District Court on charges of second-degree murder, leaving the scene of a serious accident, and manslaughter. She pleaded not guilty and was subsequently released on $80,000 bail. In June 2022, a Norfolk County grand jury formally indicted Read on charges of second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter in a motor vehicle, and leaving the scene of a collision.
An independent investigation commenced at the Canton Police Department in November 2023. By January 2024, a federal investigation into the Norfolk District Attorney’s office was confirmed. In March 2024, an internal investigation was launched concerning investigator Michael Proctor. This sequence of events illustrates the intricate nature of the case and the various investigations aimed at elucidating the circumstances surrounding John J. O’Keefe’s death. On March 12, attorneys for Read submitted a motion to dismiss the case, citing purported conflicts of interest, while federal accident reconstruction experts concluded that O’Keefe’s injuries were “inconsistent” with the damage sustained by Read’s vehicle. The judge denied this motion on March 26, referencing “extensive evidence supporting the allegations,” which included the presence of O’Keefe’s DNA on the broken taillight of Read’s car. In early April, ahead of the trial, prosecutors sought to impose special restrictions to maintain a distance of at least 500 feet (150 m) from the courthouse for demonstrations, aiming to secure an impartial jury. In response to opposition from the ACLU regarding free speech, Judge Cannone established a 200-foot (61 m) buffer zone prohibiting protesters. Additionally, the judge sanctioned a ban on “Free Karen Read” apparel within the courthouse and mandated that officers refrain from wearing uniforms during the trial, whether while testifying or participating.
In our personal opinion for this case, we think that Karen did not kill her partner, but rather that the other police officers did, because she only sent a message asking if it was cold and asking how he, John, was since she only left him with his friends.