Jury Selected for Murder Trial of Karen Read
A jury has been selected in the ongoing trial of Karen Read, the woman accused of murdering Boston police officer John O’Keefe in January 2022. The trial is scheduled to begin in earnest next week at Norfolk Superior Court after five days of jury selection.
Jury selection was complicated by the length of the upcoming trial, which is expected to take up to two months, and the media circus that has surrounded the deeply controversial case. The court went through approximately 500 potential jurors during the selection process.
Read, 44, of Mansfield, is accused of intentionally and drunkenly driving her car into O’Keefe after dropping him off outside a Canton home following a night of bar hopping. She has pleaded not guilty and maintains that she is being framed as part of a massive police coverup.
The jury of 12 plus four alternates will decide her fate on the charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter while operating under the influence, and leaving the scene of personal injury or death.
Opening statements are expected to begin on Monday. The prosecution is expected to present evidence to support their case that Read intentionally drove her car into O’Keefe, while the defense is expected to begin to sow seeds of doubt and may present evidence to support their claim that Read is being framed.
The case has drawn heavy media coverage and become a topic of intense speculation. Fans of Read and a controversial blogger who has championed her claims of innocence have been demonstrating outside the courthouse in support. The trial is expected to be closely watched and could have significant implications for the handling of police misconduct cases in the future.
