Town of Canton releases statement after Karen Read verdict

The Town of Canton, which became the focal point of the Karen Read murder case, is reacting after she was found not guilty of second-degree murder for the death of John O’Keefe on Wednesday.

In a statement, the Town of Canton Select Board Chair John McCourt acknowledged the verdict and said that the town “respects the legal process.”

“This case has been the subject of intense public interest, scrutiny and speculation for three years. Our community has been deeply affected,” McCourt stated. “We thank the members of the jury for their service and attention over the past several weeks.”

Karen Read Trial Karen Read gestures to supporters after she was found not guilty of second-degree murder on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds) (Josh Reynolds/AP)

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.

The jury found Karen Read not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges Wednesday in the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, a case that attracted legions of true crime followers who erupted in cheers when word of the acquittal spread outside court.

The same jury found her guilty of a lesser charge of drunken driving. The jury handed down its decision after deliberating for at least 22 hours since June 13.

Read’s lawyers have long asserted she was framed by police after dropping O’Keefe off at a party at the home of a fellow officer. Prosecutors argued the 45-year-old Read hit O’Keefe, 46, with her SUV before driving away, but the defense maintained O’Keefe was killed inside the home and later dragged outside.

Karen Read, father speaks out after not guilty of second degree murder

Several witnesses in the case said in a statement Wednesday that their “hearts are with John and the entire O’Keefe family.” The witnesses who signed the statement included Jennifer McCabe, who was with Read and O’Keefe the night of his death, and Brian Albert, who owned the home where the party took place.

“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,” the statement said.

Much like during the first trial, attorneys spent months presenting their case, featuring hundreds of pieces of evidence and dozens of witnesses.

Read’s defense said O’Keefe was beaten, bitten by a dog, then left outside a home in the Boston suburb of Canton in a conspiracy orchestrated by the police that included planting evidence.

Prosecutors have described Read as a scorned lover who chose to leave O’Keefe dying in the snow after striking him with her SUV outside the house party.