Massachusetts Court to Decide Karen Read Retrial

Prosecutors in Massachusetts are seeking permission from the state's highest court to retry Karen Read for the murder of her boyfriend, John O’Keefe, after a mistrial was declared due to a deadlocked jury. Read is accused of hitting O’Keefe with her SUV and leaving him to die in a snowstorm in January 2022. In a 77-page brief, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office contends that there is no basis for dismissing charges of second-degree murder and leaving the scene of an accident, asserting that Read consented to the mistrial and was not acquitted of any charges. In contrast, Read's defense argues that jurors had reached a unanimous decision on some counts prior to the mistrial, claiming that a retrial would violate the principle of double jeopardy. Oral arguments regarding the retrial are scheduled to take place soon, with the next trial set for January.