Alberts, McCabes, Higgins launch fundraiser for legal fees after explosive Karen Read lawsuit

DEDHAM, Mass. — A group of people named in an explosive lawsuit filed by Karen Read has launched an online fundraiser to cover mounting legal costs.

The crowdfunding campaign was started by Brian and Nicole Albert, Jennifer and Matthew McCabe, and Brian Higgins, all of whom were accused last week of conspiring to frame Read in the 2022 death of her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe.

In a statement, the group said they remained silent for months, trusting the justice system to “correct the record.” Now, they say the money raised will help them fight what they call “false accusations.”

A post on GiveSendGo signed by the two couples and Higgins reads, “Over the past few years, many have asked how they can support witnesses in the John O’Keefe case who continue to be relentlessly harassed and defamed. NOW IS THE TIME! For over three years, witnesses and their families have lived under the weight of false accusations, online attacks, and relentless attempts to twist the truth about what happened on Fairview Road. We stayed silent, trusting the justice system to correct the record and protect the witnesses who cooperated in good faith. It hasn’t.”

Read had stood accused of striking O’Keefe with her Lexus SUV and leaving him to die alone in a blizzard outside of a house party in Canton at the home of fellow officer Brian Albert on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking.

During her two trials for O’Keefe’s death, Read’s legal team painted a sinister picture of police misconduct and theorized that O’Keefe was, in fact, killed by colleagues, followed by a vast cover-up.

Read was acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges in June after a high-profile retrial that drew national attention.

The online fundraiser has already raised $45,000.

The Alberts, McCabes, and Higgins are also planning to sue Read for defamation, a legal brief obtained by Boston 25 News earlier this month indicated.

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