DEDHAM, Mass. (AP) — The high-profile murder trial of Karen Read reached its dramatic conclusion Friday as prosecutors and defense attorneys delivered impassioned closing arguments, presenting starkly different versions of how Boston police officer John O’Keefe died in January 2022.
The Prosecution’s Case: A Drunken Act of Violence
Prosecutors allege Read, 45, struck O’Keefe, her boyfriend, with her SUV in a drunken rage and left him to die in the snow outside a Canton house party attended by fellow law enforcement officers.
Key arguments:
- “She was drunk. She hit him, and she left him to die,” special prosecutor Hank Brennan declared, citing voicemails where Read told O’Keefe, “I (expletive) hate you.”
- Forensic evidence, including broken taillight pieces and O’Keefe’s hair on Read’s SUV, allegedly ties her to the scene.
- The prosecution dismissed defense claims of a cover-up, focusing instead on Read’s alleged admission in a documentary interview that she might have “clipped” O’Keefe.
The Defense’s Counter: A Law Enforcement Conspiracy
Read’s attorneys argue she was framed by a close-knit group of officers who concealed the truth—that O’Keefe was beaten inside the home and left outside to freeze.
Key defense claims:
- Dog bites on O’Keefe’s arm and a head injury suggest an altercation inside the house.
- Taillight evidence was planted, with a police officer testifying the damage worsened after impoundment.
- A defense crash expert testified the damage didn’t match a high-speed impact.
- Suspicious behavior by partygoers, including:
- A 2:30 a.m. Google search (“hos long to die in cold”) by Jennifer McCabe, a guest.
- The host family rehomed their dog and sold their house at a loss after O’Keefe’s death.
The Big Question: Who’s Telling the Truth?
- Prosecutors say: Read’s anger and intoxication led to murder.
- Defense says: Police protected one of their own by pinning the crime on Read.
The jury must now decide—was this a tragic crime of passion or an elaborate cover-up?
Verdict watch begins as the case goes to deliberation.