DEDHAM, Mass. — The fate of Karen Read is now in the hands of the jury in her murder retrial.
At 2:39 p.m. Friday, Judge Beverly Cannone sent 12 jurors off to deliberate the charges that Read is facing: Second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death.
Cannone spent about an hour instructing the jury on the relevant law and how to apply it to the case’s facts. She said she would keep the jurors at the courthouse for deliberations until about 5 or 5:30 p.m. before breaking for the weekend.
Cannone ended up dismissing the jury at 4:30 p.m., telling jurors and attorneys to “enjoy the weekend with no work.” They will return first thing Monday to continue deliberations.
Lawyers spent the morning delivering their closing arguments.
Defense attorney Alan Jackson argued that his client was framed in a police cover-up. Prosecutor Hank Brennan countered that Read callously decided to leave O’Keefe dying in the snow.
LIVE VERDICT WATCH:
Here’s how today’s court proceedings unfolded:
Jury is out in the Karen Read trial. 2:39pm Friday 6/13/25
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
Court resumes
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
Closings are done. Jury will get 1/2 hour for lunch and then instructions and choosing alternates.
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
Brennan closing:
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
"She pivots and she calls Kerry (Roberts) 'Kerry, Kerry, John's dead. I think he got hit by a plow.' Why do you think she chose those words?... Because she knew that there was a collision with a large motor vehicle, and she had to substitute. "
Hank Brennan's closing: "When you are under the influence of alcohol and you drive a 6,000 pound Lexus in the heat of the moment at the direction of where somebody is, whether you intend to hit them or not, I submit to you that is wanton, it is reckless."
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
Brennan: "They're arguing, they're arguing, they're arguing. And we know they're arguing because Ms Read tells us through first responder Becker, she was sad whenever he sees her in the back of the ambulance and he's trying to calm her down. "
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
Before playing one of Read's interviews where she talks about drinking Brennan responds to Jackson's statements about Brian Higgins:
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
HB: There was no adversarial relationship. There was no anger between them. " pic.twitter.com/gP4LEcABuG
Hank Brennan's closing:
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
HB: "On January 29th, 2022, John O'Keefe needed some help. He needed help from somebody else. You see, John O'Keefe had just been hit by Karen Reed in front of 34 Fairview Road, and he lay on the ground dying, and he needed help"
Jackson is finished. I can hear people cheering outside.
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
Brennan begins his closing
Karen Read watching Alan Jackson's closing:
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
AJ: "You weren't given the opportunity to hear from Michael Proctor, but you can read his thoughts for yourself. And I urge you, go read them. They're in exhibit 209" pic.twitter.com/wBbeADNog2
AJ: "Not a single medical expert called by the defense or called by the Commonwealth has testified that John was hit by a car. Not one. Think about the irony. "
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
AJ: "Doctor Dan Wolf did the testing on the tail light. Actual testing, not some ridiculous blue paint kindergarten…
Jackson is going all in on Brian Higgins showing video from Waterfall Bar
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
AJ: "These guys are not good friends. They barely spoke or even acknowledged each other when they walked into the bar together, other than a quick greeting. So why was Higgins coaxing John over to 34…
Closings begin. Alan Jackson first. He tells jury:
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
"You folks are the last line of defense. The last line of defense between an innocent woman and a system that has tried to break her, that falsely accused her, that tried mightily, mightily to bury the truth. This case was…
According to a new entry on the docket dated today, the defense filed a "Motion to Ensure Transparency in Alternate Juror Selection Process and Affidavit of Counsel in Support"
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
The docket says the motion was denied pic.twitter.com/hpgKlWAHZZ
Prosecutor Hank Brennan asks to be heard before the jury enters. Sidebar discussion now
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
Good morning from Norfolk Superior courthouse in Dedham, MA.
— Ted Daniel (@TedDanielnews) June 13, 2025
Closing arguments will begin shortly in Karen Read’s re-trial.
The mood has definitely amped up and the crowd outside the courthouse has grown.
Alan Jackson will close for the defense. I’m told to expect a lot of…
Read, 45, of Mansfield, is accused of striking John O’Keefe, her Boston police officer boyfriend, 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 second trial, Read’s lawyers argued that O’Keefe, 46, 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 due to a hung jury on July 1, 2024, after several jurors came out to say that the panel had unanimously agreed that Read was not guilty of the most serious charge of second-degree murder.
After the prosecution and defense are given 75 minutes to deliver their closing arguments, there will be a quick lunch break before Judge Beverly Cannone issues jury instructions, selects a foreman, and sends off 12 jurors to deliberate Read’s fate.
The jurors have a lot to consider after hearing from 50 witnesses over 31 days of testimony: Did Read hit O’Keefe? Was there any collision at all? Or is someone else responsible for his death?
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The defense rested its case on Wednesday, and the prosecution indicated they wouldn’t call any rebuttal witnesses. On Thursday, lawyers in the case met with Cannone to decide on jury instructions and the all-important verdict slip.
Boston 25 News legal expert Peter Elikann said cases have been won or lost on a well-crafted closing argument.
“There’s almost a certain arrogance to doing a closing because you’re saying to the jury, ‘Look, you heard it all, but we’re going to tell you what you just heard.’ And yet it still is very important to kind of try to put the entire case into perspective for them, all the evidence that they heard, try to make sense of it in a logical pattern for the jury.”
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 said earlier this week that she’s feeling anxious and has butterflies.
“I thought it was strong last year. It’s stronger, yes,” Read told reporters outside court on Wednesday after she was asked, “Do you think your case was stronger this time?”
Read said she just hopes the jurors have been listening since opening statements were delivered on April 22.
“I just hope they were listening. That’s all I can ask for. They were in the same room I was...For the last 31 days,” Read said.
Read added, “I feel good about the jury. We selected them. I was there and took part in it. We chose fair, truthful, civic-minded people.
Attorneys and jurors were instructed to arrive in court by 8:30 a.m. Friday to ensure arguments can start right at 9 a.m.
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