Opening statements a week away as final juror seated for the Karen Read retrial

DEDHAM, Mass. — The final juror was selected Tuesday afternoon for the retrial of Karen Read.

There are 18 total jurors: 9 men and 9 women.

Read says she’s ready to go and is pleased with the jury selection process.

“We’re loaded for bear,” she said. “Ready to get the show on the road. And we’re happy with the whole process today.”

It took ten days and nearly 600 candidates to get a jury.

Since her June 2022 indictment for the murder of John O’Keefe in Canton, Karen Read has given lengthy interviews to several national media outlets and one local station — Boston 25 News.

Prosecutors have been reviewing Read’s every word, including a new filing from special prosecutor Hank Brennan, which reveals the Commonwealth is planning to play “recorded statements of the defendant in its open statement” or right out of the gate.

Attorney and legal analyst Peter Elikann weighed in on the filing.

“It’s not clear that Karen Reed has said anything that would incriminate her or put her in a bad light, but certainly that’s always the risk why most of the time you don’t want your client talking to the media before the trial,” he said.

Read told Boston 25′s Ted Daniel that she’s not concerned about the filing.

Opening arguments are slated for next Tuesday but everyone will be back in court on Wednesday for motion hearings.

Read has pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death.

Read’s first trial ended with a hung jury in July 2024.

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