7 hours ago
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Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu
BBC News
Watch: After verdict is announced, Karen Read speaks to crowd
Karen Read, a US woman charged with running over her police officer boyfriend and leaving him for dead in a snowbank, has been found not guilty of second-degree murder in a case that gripped true-crime fans nationwide.
The jury also found Ms Read, 44, not guilty of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and leaving the scene of the collision in January 2022. But she was convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol (OUI).
Her July 2024 trial stemming from the death of Boston police officer John O'Keefe collapsed after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
She again pleaded not guilty in the retrial, with her lawyers arguing she was being framed for Mr O'Keefe's death.
The Patriot Ledger/Reuters
Karen Read in court after the not not guilty verdict
Prosecutors and Ms Read's attorneys agreed to a one-year probation order for the intoxication charge. It means she will avoid prison time.
As the verdict was read out, a loud cheer could be heard from outside the Massachusetts court, where a large crowd had gathered, many wearing pink to show support for Ms Read. She hugged her defence attorneys and cried.
Ms Read was greeted by loud cheers as she emerged from the building to thank supporters. The crowd chanted "Free Karen Read" and made "I love you" signs in American Sign Language. Some waved US flags and sang God Bless America.
"No-one has fought harder for justice for John O'Keefe than I have," she said in a brief statement.
Ms Read's trial has generated intense public interest, spawning a Hulu television show, several podcasts, and an upcoming Netflix documentary.
Her father, William Read, thanked "all the content providers who helped spread the word".
The O'Keefe family left court still without comment.
But several witnesses in the case said on Wednesday the outcome was "a devastating miscarriage of justice".
Their statement said they "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".
Getty Images
Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney signs "I love you" in American Sign Language, which has become a symbol for Karen Read's supporters
Aidan "Turtleboy" Kearney, a blogger who has publicised the case, told NBC10 local news that the verdict was "a surreal emotional experience".
"To finally hear those words: 'not guilty', I have been dreaming about this... It was a happy ending."
Kearney himself faces several charges of witness intimidation, which he denies.
His writing frequently questions the investigation into Mr O'Keefe's death and he often publicly confronts witnesses about the case.
Ms Read worked as an adjunct professor at Bentley University and an equity analyst at Fidelity Investments.
She and Mr O'Keefe were together for about two years before his 2022 death, but their relationship had become volatile, prosecutors argued.
Boston Herald via Getty Images
Supporters cheer outside court as Karen Read is acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges
In closing arguments, state prosecutor Hank Brennan told the court Ms Read was drunk-driving when, enraged by their faltering relationship, she backed into Mr O'Keefe at the home of a fellow officer in the Boston area.
He alleged she left him to die during a snowstorm. Mr O'Keefe, who died at the age of 46, had spent 16 years with the Boston Police Department.
Ms Read's attorneys contended that O'Keefe was instead beaten inside the home, bitten by a dog and dumped in the snow. They argued Ms Read was the victim of an elaborate plot by local police to frame her.
The jury deliberated over four days before Wednesday afternoon's verdict was delivered.
Court filings show the jury members' names will not be made public.
