DEDHAM, Mass. – The jury selection process has concluded in the trial of Karen Read, a Massachusetts woman accused of the 2022 death of her Boston police officer boyfriend. Read, 43, from Mansfield, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder and additional charges. Allegedly, she struck her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, with her vehicle outside a Canton home during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022, following a night of drinking. The defense’s argument revolves around allegations of a cover-up involving various law enforcement agencies, suggesting O’Keefe was beaten inside the home, bitten by a dog, and left outside.
During five days of courtroom work, the jury selection process resulted in 19 jurors out of a total pool of 401 individuals. The number is anticipated to be reduced to 16 before the jury is officially seated. Opening statements for the case are expected to commence on Monday. In addition, key details include contents of pretrial motions which revealed the presence of text messages indicating a “romantic entanglement” with a friend present at locations visited by Read and O’Keefe on the night of the incident, hinting at relationship troubles between the two individuals.
Last week, a motion was filed by Read’s attorneys arguing that the current layout of the Norfolk County Superior Courtroom may impede her constitutional right to confrontation as some jury members may not be able to see the faces of witnesses. Although Judge Beverly Cannone acknowledged the current layout’s legality, she is contemplating moving the case to a smaller courtroom as proposed by the prosecution. This alternative courtroom would only accommodate the press, members of Read’s family, and the victim’s family.
In response to the defense including District Attorney Michael Morrissey on the list of witnesses, prosecutors have indicated plans to call up to 87 witnesses during the trial, while the defense anticipates calling up to 77. The contentious trial has prompted debate and protest, leading to the establishment of a “buffer zone” around the courthouse by the judge, a decision upheld by a Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court but under appeal for an expedited review. The trial duration is estimated to last around 6-8 weeks once a jury is empaneled.
