The case of Karen Read, accused of causing the death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, continues to captivate the nation following a recent mistrial. This article delves into the critical details surrounding John O’Keefe’s injuries, drawing from Karen Read’s first full account and trial information, offering an in-depth look at the events leading to his tragic death.
Karen Read faced trial this past summer, charged with fatally striking John O’Keefe with her SUV and leaving him to die in Canton, Massachusetts, in January 2022. The two-month legal battle ended in a mistrial due to a deadlocked jury, intensifying public interest and dividing opinions. Amidst this turmoil, ABC News’ “20/20” gained exclusive access to Karen Read, capturing her perspective as she prepared for the trial and navigated the profound personal impact of the accusations.
“This is no life,” Read expressed to ABC News, emphasizing the immense stress and uncertainty she faces daily, despite not being incarcerated. This exclusive access, combined with extensive interviews and never-before-seen footage of Read’s trial preparations, forms the core of a “20/20” episode broadcast on September 6th. The episode also includes insights from John O’Keefe’s family and close friends, offering a multifaceted view of the tragic events.
The night preceding the discovery of John O’Keefe’s body began with a blizzard warning in Boston. Read and O’Keefe initially socialized with friends at a sports bar before moving to another bar nearby. Around midnight, an invitation arose to continue the gathering at the home of Brian Albert, a fellow Boston police officer. Read, citing fatigue, stated she dropped O’Keefe off at Albert’s Fairview Road residence and then returned to O’Keefe’s house to sleep. However, those present at Albert’s home maintain that O’Keefe never entered the premises.
Hours later, upon waking and finding herself alone, Read became increasingly worried and contacted O’Keefe’s friends, including Jennifer McCabe, Brian Albert’s sister-in-law, who had been part of the previous night’s group.
McCabe recounted receiving a frantic call from Read, expressing alarm that O’Keefe had not returned home.
VIDEO: Karen Read’s Account of Her Alcohol Consumption on the Night of John O’Keefe’s Death
Read clarified to ABC News that she “felt like I had alcohol” on the night of John O’Keefe’s death, explaining, “I felt like I had a buzz, but I did not feel it was unsafe for me operating my vehicle.”
Driven by mounting anxiety, Read retraced her route from the previous night, covering the two-square-mile area where they had been. She described experiencing an overwhelming sense of dread and fear as she searched for O’Keefe.
“I was worried he might’ve gotten hit by a plow. That was my first thought,” Read admitted, highlighting the blizzard conditions and the initial scenarios that crossed her mind to explain O’Keefe’s disappearance.
After twenty minutes of searching, Read connected with McCabe and Kerry Roberts, another friend of O’Keefe. The three women then returned to O’Keefe’s residence, hoping he might have made his way home. It was at this point that Read noticed damage to her vehicle.
Read recalled pointing out a cracked taillight on the right side of her SUV to McCabe and Roberts, stating, “I had told both Jen and Kerry that I cracked my taillight. And I said, ‘I just hit my car on top of everything,’ but I didn’t look at the damage. And both women said, ‘It’s cracked. It’s cracked. Calm down, you cracked your taillight. You’re OK, let’s go look for John.'”
Failing to find O’Keefe at his house, the group proceeded to the Fairview Road address in blizzard conditions, the location where Read last remembered seeing him.
Upon arriving at the Fairview Road property, Read recounted the shocking discovery of O’Keefe’s body lying still in the snowbank in front of the house. Jennifer McCabe immediately called 911, while Read desperately attempted to revive O’Keefe. She described trying to administer CPR and using her own body heat to warm his rapidly cooling body.
“His eyes were shut, and he had spots of blood on different areas of his face,” Read somberly told “20/20,” conveying the surreal horror of the moment. “It was just an odd feeling to know that I’m OK, but he’s here with me, and he’s dying. And I can’t warm him up.”
Emergency responders quickly arrived and began administering aid to O’Keefe.
VIDEO: Karen Read Describes Discovering John O’Keefe’s Body in the Snowbank
Read recounted her shock and inconsolable state after finding O’Keefe. She remembered calling her father and expressing suicidal thoughts, stating, “I don’t wanna live.” This led to her father contacting the police, who placed her under psychiatric hold due to concerns about self-harm.
“I didn’t have any ideation of harming myself. I just– I– I’ve never dealt with grief of this magnitude. And I just felt out of my skin,” Read explained to “20/20,” clarifying her emotional state at the time.
Despite extensive medical intervention, John O’Keefe succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead later that morning. The subsequent autopsy report revealed the cause of death as hypothermia and blunt force injuries to the head. These blunt force injuries are central to the prosecution’s case against Karen Read, alleging she inflicted them with her vehicle.
Tara Kerrigan, a close friend of O’Keefe for two decades, vividly recalled the devastating news of his death. “I hung up and I lost it,” Kerrigan shared with “20/20,” expressing the profound shock and grief experienced by those who knew him.
O’Keefe’s cousins, in a group interview with Matt Gutman, emphasized their desire to remember him for his positive impact, describing him as “the light” of their family.
“He was always the sun. He would just light up a room,” one cousin fondly remembered, highlighting O’Keefe’s cherished role within his family.
VIDEO: John O’Keefe’s Family and Friends Share Memories of the Beloved Boston Police Officer
Brendan Kane, a longtime friend, recounted O’Keefe’s lifelong ambition to become a police officer, a dream realized through 16 years of service with the Boston Police Department, following in his grandfather’s footsteps. He also became a surrogate father to his orphaned niece and nephew in 2014, demonstrating his caring nature.
Later the same day she was released from the hospital, Karen Read, accompanied by her father, visited O’Keefe’s family at his home. Read mentioned showing her father the cracked taillight again during this visit. She sensed a distance from O’Keefe’s mother.
“They had pulled into the driveway before me. I was presuming she saw my cracked taillight and was thinking, ‘Did you hit my son?’ … I could sense from her that she was looking at me very warily,” Read observed, noting the strained atmosphere.
Read and her father collected her belongings from O’Keefe’s residence and departed. “When we were driving home, I said to my father, ‘I gotta get an attorney,'” Read recalled, marking the beginning of her legal defense.
John Jackson, another friend of O’Keefe, noted in his “20/20” interview, “She had hired an attorney. That was it. No more contact, which I find odd,” highlighting the abrupt shift in communication after Read sought legal counsel.
This brief encounter was the last time Read saw O’Keefe’s family before her arrest on February 1, 2022. She was initially charged with manslaughter, motor vehicle homicide, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle collision causing death. The charges were subsequently upgraded by a Norfolk County grand jury to second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence of alcohol, and leaving the scene of a collision causing death. Read pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutors presented the case as a tragic outcome of a drunken night, alleging Read, while intoxicated, struck O’Keefe with her SUV and left him to die in front of a residence. They cited Read’s blood alcohol content, measured at between .07 and .08 at 9:08 a.m. following the incident, approximately nine hours after she and O’Keefe left the bar.
VIDEO: Karen Read Prepares for Trial, Captured by ABC News’ 20/20
Testimony from MSP Trooper Bukhenik focused on security footage from the bars visited by Read and O’Keefe, meticulously counting Read’s drinks for the jury. Trooper Bukhenik estimated Read consumed around nine drinks in three hours on the night in question. While Read acknowledged consuming alcohol and driving, she maintained she felt capable of driving safely, estimating her intake at around four drinks, with incomplete drinks at the second bar.
The defense team countered with an alternate theory, alleging a cover-up and suggesting O’Keefe was murdered inside the Albert residence, with his body later moved to the snowbank. They portrayed Read as an outsider framed for the crime. The prosecution and witnesses from the Fairview Road gathering vehemently denied these allegations, asserting O’Keefe never entered the Albert home and his injuries were solely due to being struck by Read’s vehicle.
Despite eight weeks of trial proceedings, the jury remained deadlocked, resulting in a mistrial declared on July 1st. Prosecutors intend to retry the case in 2025, with jury selection scheduled for January 27th. Karen Read continues to assert her innocence, maintaining she did not harm John O’Keefe.
Brendan Kane expressed disappointment at the mistrial but remains hopeful for a conviction in the retrial, viewing the situation as “halftime” with adjustments expected for the second trial. O’Keefe’s cousins also affirmed their commitment to attending court until justice is served for John. They had hoped for closure after the first trial to properly grieve but now face further delays.
