Man Protecting Woman From Abuser, Sentenced To Jail For Murder
Karen Read is facing serious charges of second-degree murder following the tragic death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe. The incident, which took place on January 29, 2022, unfolded after a night out at a local bar.
Allegedly, Read struck O’Keefe with her SUV while dropping him off at a house party in Canton amidst a heated argument. While her attorneys contend that others may be involved and point to a potential cover-up, prosecutors firmly assert that Read intentionally struck O’Keefe and left him to die in the midst of a snowstorm.
Read has recently done some high-profile interviews on Dateline and Nightline where she has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, stating in her interview with ABC News’ Matt Gutman, “I did not kill John O’Keefe. I have never harmed a hair on John O’Keefe’s head.”
The case has garnered national attention due to Read’s defense team’s striking claims that another police officer might have played a role in O’Keefe’s death and participated in concealing the truth.
The prosecution, however, maintains that these allegations have no substance. In an official statement to ABC News, they assert, “There was no conspiracy or cover-up. Such claims have been systematically refuted by evidence submitted to Norfolk Superior Court.”
The couple’s history dates back to their twenties, and they later reconnected on Facebook over a decade later. Read admired O’Keefe’s dedication to caring for his late sister and brother-in-law’s children after their parents passed away seven years prior. Despite a close bond with the O’Keefe family, their relationship was marked by challenges. Read contends that O’Keefe began relying on her heavily for childcare, and their differing parenting decisions led to friction.
Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally revealed in September 2022 that there had been a series of conflicts between Karen Read and John O’Keefe in the weeks leading up to O’Keefe’s untimely death. According to Lally’s statements in court, O’Keefe had attempted to end his relationship with Read. However, Read countered these claims by asserting that the night of O’Keefe’s passing had been an ordinary night out for the couple.
On the night of O’Keefe’s death, the couple went to the Waterfall Bar in Canton, where they crossed paths with Brian Albert, a fellow Boston police officer O’Keefe held in high regard. According to Read’s account, O’Keefe said there was an after-party at Albert’s residence.
Read described their evening at the bar: “We were happy, having fun, laughing, just very normal.” When questioned about whether they had consumed an excessive amount of alcohol, Read denied any overindulgence.
In her Nightline interview, Read said she was unsure whether she was invited to the afterparty and wanted O’Keefe to double-check.
“I pull at the foot of the driveway. It’s snowing. John has no coat on. It’s windy,” she recalled. “So I drop him off, he goes up the driveway, and approaches the side door. And as I see him approach the door, I look down at my phone.”
“I texted him, I called him, and within minutes of him exiting his car, he is not answering his phone,” Read explained.
Read said she waited for him for about 10 minutes before growing irritated at his lack of communication. Returning to O’Keefe’s home, she continued trying to contact him before eventually falling asleep. Read said she later awoke to find O’Keefe missing.
Her search led her back to Albert’s house, where she discovered O’Keefe’s lifeless body in the snow. She described the harrowing scene: “His eyes were swollen shut. He had blood dripping out of his nose.”
As first responders arrived, questions arose about Read’s initial statements. When asked whether she had mentioned the possibility of killing him, Read clarified that she had questioned if she could have hit him.
“I said ‘I hit him.’ It was preceded by a ‘did’ and proceeded by a question mark,” Read told “Nightline.” “What I thought could have happened was that, ‘Did I incapacitate him unwittingly, somehow, and then in his drunkenness, [he] passed out?’”
O’Keefe’s autopsy results from February 2022 revealed abrasions on his right forearm, two black eyes, a nose cut, a two-inch laceration on the back of his head, and skull fractures. Hypothermia was also listed as a potential contributing factor to his death.
Read quickly became the primary suspect, with authorities noting a cracked taillight on her seized SUV.
A forensic specialist who examined Read’s SUV found “a dent with chipped paint in the trunk door, a broken tail light, and scratches on the bumper,” as well as human hair on the “rear passenger side quarter panel.”
Read’s statements and the taillight evidence led to suspicion, especially with conflicting interpretations of her admissions. Police statements suggest that Read had questioned whether she might have hit O’Keefe. Read contests this, stating that her words were speculative and centered around the possibility of unintentional incapacitation.
Questions surrounding Read’s alcohol consumption on that fateful night also surfaced, with prosecutors asserting she had nine drinks. Read maintains she had about four. Despite these conflicting claims, Read remains steadfast in her belief that she could not have unknowingly struck O’Keefe with her SUV.
Investigators reported finding “fragments of broken glass on the rear bumper” on Read’s vehicle and that a broken cocktail glass was found by what appeared to be patches of blood near O’Keefe’s body.
Prosecutors argue that Read’s blood alcohol level could have exceeded the legal limit, ranging from .13% to .29%.
Investigation into the shattered taillight revealed fragments at the scene on the day O’Keefe’s body was discovered, with more uncovered the following week as snow melted. Nonetheless, Read’s attorney, Alan Jackson, disputes these findings, suggesting that the taillight evidence was tampered with.
Read’s attorney, Alan Jackson, has presented an alternate perspective. Jackson firmly maintains Read’s innocence, suggesting a scenario of hostility within the house that led to the tragic sequence of events. “John walked into an element of hostility in that house,” Jackson conveyed to NBC. “John O’Keefe got out of a car, walked into the house, was sucker punched, fell, hurt himself and ultimately his body was moved.”
Read’s next court appearance is scheduled for September. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
Allegedly, Read struck O’Keefe with her SUV while dropping him off at a house party in Canton amidst a heated argument. While her attorneys contend that others may be involved and point to a potential cover-up, prosecutors firmly assert that Read intentionally struck O’Keefe and left him to die in the midst of a snowstorm.
Read has recently done some high-profile interviews on Dateline and Nightline where she has vehemently denied any wrongdoing, stating in her interview with ABC News’ Matt Gutman, “I did not kill John O’Keefe. I have never harmed a hair on John O’Keefe’s head.”
The case has garnered national attention due to Read’s defense team’s striking claims that another police officer might have played a role in O’Keefe’s death and participated in concealing the truth.
The prosecution, however, maintains that these allegations have no substance. In an official statement to ABC News, they assert, “There was no conspiracy or cover-up. Such claims have been systematically refuted by evidence submitted to Norfolk Superior Court.”
The couple’s history dates back to their twenties, and they later reconnected on Facebook over a decade later. Read admired O’Keefe’s dedication to caring for his late sister and brother-in-law’s children after their parents passed away seven years prior. Despite a close bond with the O’Keefe family, their relationship was marked by challenges. Read contends that O’Keefe began relying on her heavily for childcare, and their differing parenting decisions led to friction.
Norfolk Assistant District Attorney Adam Lally revealed in September 2022 that there had been a series of conflicts between Karen Read and John O’Keefe in the weeks leading up to O’Keefe’s untimely death. According to Lally’s statements in court, O’Keefe had attempted to end his relationship with Read. However, Read countered these claims by asserting that the night of O’Keefe’s passing had been an ordinary night out for the couple.
On the night of O’Keefe’s death, the couple went to the Waterfall Bar in Canton, where they crossed paths with Brian Albert, a fellow Boston police officer O’Keefe held in high regard. According to Read’s account, O’Keefe said there was an after-party at Albert’s residence.
Read described their evening at the bar: “We were happy, having fun, laughing, just very normal.” When questioned about whether they had consumed an excessive amount of alcohol, Read denied any overindulgence.
In her Nightline interview, Read said she was unsure whether she was invited to the afterparty and wanted O’Keefe to double-check.
“I pull at the foot of the driveway. It’s snowing. John has no coat on. It’s windy,” she recalled. “So I drop him off, he goes up the driveway, and approaches the side door. And as I see him approach the door, I look down at my phone.”
“I texted him, I called him, and within minutes of him exiting his car, he is not answering his phone,” Read explained.
Read said she waited for him for about 10 minutes before growing irritated at his lack of communication. Returning to O’Keefe’s home, she continued trying to contact him before eventually falling asleep. Read said she later awoke to find O’Keefe missing.
Her search led her back to Albert’s house, where she discovered O’Keefe’s lifeless body in the snow. She described the harrowing scene: “His eyes were swollen shut. He had blood dripping out of his nose.”
As first responders arrived, questions arose about Read’s initial statements. When asked whether she had mentioned the possibility of killing him, Read clarified that she had questioned if she could have hit him.
“I said ‘I hit him.’ It was preceded by a ‘did’ and proceeded by a question mark,” Read told “Nightline.” “What I thought could have happened was that, ‘Did I incapacitate him unwittingly, somehow, and then in his drunkenness, [he] passed out?’”
O’Keefe’s autopsy results from February 2022 revealed abrasions on his right forearm, two black eyes, a nose cut, a two-inch laceration on the back of his head, and skull fractures. Hypothermia was also listed as a potential contributing factor to his death.
Read quickly became the primary suspect, with authorities noting a cracked taillight on her seized SUV.
A forensic specialist who examined Read’s SUV found “a dent with chipped paint in the trunk door, a broken tail light, and scratches on the bumper,” as well as human hair on the “rear passenger side quarter panel.”
Read’s statements and the taillight evidence led to suspicion, especially with conflicting interpretations of her admissions. Police statements suggest that Read had questioned whether she might have hit O’Keefe. Read contests this, stating that her words were speculative and centered around the possibility of unintentional incapacitation.
Questions surrounding Read’s alcohol consumption on that fateful night also surfaced, with prosecutors asserting she had nine drinks. Read maintains she had about four. Despite these conflicting claims, Read remains steadfast in her belief that she could not have unknowingly struck O’Keefe with her SUV.
Investigators reported finding “fragments of broken glass on the rear bumper” on Read’s vehicle and that a broken cocktail glass was found by what appeared to be patches of blood near O’Keefe’s body.
Prosecutors argue that Read’s blood alcohol level could have exceeded the legal limit, ranging from .13% to .29%.
Investigation into the shattered taillight revealed fragments at the scene on the day O’Keefe’s body was discovered, with more uncovered the following week as snow melted. Nonetheless, Read’s attorney, Alan Jackson, disputes these findings, suggesting that the taillight evidence was tampered with.
Read’s attorney, Alan Jackson, has presented an alternate perspective. Jackson firmly maintains Read’s innocence, suggesting a scenario of hostility within the house that led to the tragic sequence of events. “John walked into an element of hostility in that house,” Jackson conveyed to NBC. “John O’Keefe got out of a car, walked into the house, was sucker punched, fell, hurt himself and ultimately his body was moved.”
Read’s next court appearance is scheduled for September. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
