After five days of questioning hundreds of potential jurors, the final 19 jurors were chosen on Wednesday to serve in the trial of Karen Read, a Mansfield woman accused of murdering her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, in 2022. Read, 44, is facing charges of second-degree murder, motor vehicle manslaughter while driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash causing death. Opening statements in the trial are scheduled to begin on Monday, and the trial is expected to last six to eight weeks. A hearing is set for Thursday to address several motions filed in recent days, including a request by Read’s defense team to move the physical location of the jury box due to concerns about the jurors’ ability to see the faces of witnesses. Read’s attorneys have also alleged that other people are responsible for O’Keefe’s death and that alleged conflicts of interest have compromised the case. The presiding judge last week allowed the defense to pursue a third-party culprit defense at trial, with defense attorneys claiming that three men in the Canton house on the night of O’Keefe’s death had a motive and means to attack him. On the first day of the trial, supporters of Read gathered outside the courthouse as part of the “Free Karen Read” movement.
Jury Selection Complete in Trial of Karen Read Accused of Killing Boyfriend
