DEDHAM, Mass. — Friends of John O’Keefe shared their reactions after Karen Read was found not guilty of all charges except drunk driving on Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement from Jennifer McCabe, Matthew McCabe, Chris Albert, Julie Albert, Colin Albert, Nicole Albert, Brian Albert, Kerry Roberts, and Curt Roberts, they called the verdict a miscarriage of justice:
Today, our hearts are with John and the entire O’Keefe family. They have suffered through so much and deserved better from our justice system. While we may have more to say in the future, today we mourn with John’s family and lament the cruel reality that this prosecution was infected by lies and conspiracy theories spread by Karen Read, her defense team, and some in the media. The result is a devastating miscarriage of justice.
Read, 45, of Mansfield, was accused of striking John O’Keefe, 46, 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.
Throughout her second trial, the prosecution’s theory of jaded love turned deadly was countered by a defense claim that a cast of tight-knit Boston area law enforcement killed a fellow police officer.
Read’s lawyers argued that O’Keefe was beaten, bitten by a dog, then left outside Albert’s home in a conspiracy orchestrated by the police that included planting evidence against Read.
Read’s first trial ended in a mistrial after five days due to a hung jury on July 1, 2024. Several jurors later came out to say that the panel had unanimously agreed that Read was not guilty of the most serious charge of second-degree murder.
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