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Karen Read woke up in a state of panic when she discovered that her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe, was missing from their home early on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. She immediately made frantic phone calls, enlisting the help of two women to retrace their steps to a house in Canton, Massachusetts. The couple had been invited to join friends for drinks after leaving a local bar. Around 6 a.m., Read spotted O’Keefe’s snow-covered body in front of the house. She screamed, leapt out of her friend’s car, and desperately tried to revive him with CPR. The subsequent autopsy revealed that O’Keefe, 46, had suffered multiple skull fractures, resulting in brain bleeding. Hypothermia was also identified as a contributing factor to his death. After reviewing evidence at the scene and speaking with Read and their friends, prosecutors alleged that O’Keefe had left Read’s black Lexus SUV following an argument and Read had struck him while making a three-point turn. They further asserted that Read returned home, leaving O’Keefe to die in the snow. As a result, Read was charged with second-degree murder, vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, and leaving the scene of a collision.
This case is commonly referred to as the “taillight murder,” as it pertains to the damaged right taillight of Read’s SUV. Investigators claimed that the damage occurred when Read struck O’Keefe, and they found pieces of plastic near the location where O’Keefe was discovered, consistent with those missing from Read’s vehicle. However, Read’s defense attorneys argue that Ring footage from O’Keefe’s house suggests that Read struck his car while backing out of the garage on the morning of the incident.
Karen Read, 43, maintains her innocence and has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against her. As she awaits trial, her attorneys and a surprising group of community supporters, led by local blogger Aidan Kearney, have been advocating for her release. Utilizing hashtags such as #FreeKarenRead, #JusticeForJohnOkeefe, and #JusticeForKarenRead, they claim that O’Keefe entered a house belonging to another Boston police officer, where he was violently attacked and mauled by the owner’s dog. They assert that O’Keefe was then taken back outside, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Online forums, including the Facebook group Justice For John O’Keefe & Karen Read (Mass corruption) with over 26,000 members, analyze supposed evidence exonerating Read, pointing toward alternative suspects, and alleging a vast cover-up and conspiracy by law enforcement to protect their own.
To support Karen Read’s legal defense, a fund has been established, which has already garnered over $150,000 in donations. A billboard with the message “Free Karen Read” and a QR code linking to the fund is set to debut near Gillette Stadium, the home of the New England Patriots, during their season opener on Sept. 10. The speculation and theories put forth by Read’s supporters, including scrutinizing photos of O’Keefe’s autopsy and drawing comparisons to dog attacks, as well as outlining familial and political connections in the small town of Canton, prompted Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey to release a 5-minute video statement denouncing the harassment and intimidation of witnesses based on “false narratives and accusations.” In response, a group of protesters displayed signs reading “Free Karen,” “Where Is Chloe?” (the reportedly “rehomed” dog), and “Framed” at a campaign event for Morrissey, eliciting support from passing cars honking their horns.
Witness accounts, including those recalled by witnesses at the scene, relatives, paramedics, and authorities, present conflicting and inconsistent statements from Karen Read about the events leading up to O’Keefe’s death. For instance, a paramedic reported that Read repeatedly said, “I hit him, I hit him, I hit him.” In a preview for an upcoming episode of “Dateline,” Read stated that she had phrased it as a question: “Could I have hit him?” However, during an interview with ABC’s “Nightline,” she claimed to have asked, “Did I hit him?”. In another statement, Read’s father, William Read, spoke to Boston’s 25 News and recounted a conversation he had with his daughter on the morning O’Keefe was discovered. According to William, Karen told him, “‘Dad, I think I struck something.’ I asked, ‘What do you mean?’ This was at the hospital, and she said, ‘I remember backing up and hitting something, but I can’t say what it was,’ and at that point, she was frantic.”
Karen Read and John O’Keefe had been in a relationship for a couple of years at the time of his death. They had briefly dated in their twenties before reconnecting on Facebook. By then, O’Keefe had become the caretaker for his sister’s two children, following the deaths of their parents eight years prior. Read frequently stayed at O’Keefe’s house and had planned to spend the night of Jan. 28 with him after a night of bar-hopping. According to authorities, witnesses and surveillance footage indicated that Read and O’Keefe visited two bars that evening: C.F. McCarthy’s and the Waterfall. Reports state that Read consumed up to nine drinks over the course of the night. A forensic toxicologist determined that Read’s blood alcohol level on Jan. 29 ranged between .07% and .08%. They estimated that her blood alcohol level at 12:45 a.m. would have been between .13% and .29%. In Massachusetts, driving with a blood alcohol level of .08% or higher is illegal.
At the Waterfall, they socialized with Jennifer and Matthew McCabe. As the bar was closing, Jennifer invited the couple to join them at the home of her sister, Nicole Albert, and her husband, Brian Albert, a longstanding Boston police officer, where a gathering was taking place. However, when Read and O’Keefe arrived, they reportedly ignored Jennifer McCabe’s instruction to park in the driveway. Instead, they remained in the car on the street with the engine running. Witnesses claimed that the car moved forward from its original position near the driveway and stopped once again in the vicinity where O’Keefe’s body was later discovered. Authorities were informed by multiple individuals present that, eventually, around 12:45 a.m., the car drove away without either of them entering the house.
McCabe reported that Read informed her the last thing she remembered from that night was being at a bar with O’Keefe. However, during recent television interviews, Read adamantly stated that she recalls the couple arriving at the Alberts’ house, engaging in an argument, watching O’Keefe approach the door, looking up from her phone, and no longer seeing him. She expressed annoyance that he hadn’t responded to her texts after entering the house and drove home alone.
The situation escalated hours later when McCabe received a distressed phone call from Read at approximately 4:53 a.m., inquiring about O’Keefe’s whereabouts. According to authorities, Kerry Roberts, another woman, stated that Read called her around 5 a.m., expressing concern because O’Keefe hadn’t returned home. She mentioned, “John’s dead. Kerry, Kerry, I wonder if he’s dead. It’s snowing, he got hit by a plow.” Roberts met Read at McCabe’s home, and due to Read’s extreme emotional state, McCabe drove her back to O’Keefe’s residence, where she had been staying, while Roberts followed. During the drive, McCabe claimed that Read asked, “Could I have hit him?” and “Did I hit him?” She also mentioned that the right taillight on her SUV was cracked. McCabe verified this account.
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